What families do
by CallunaRubus
Summary: Harry personally experience the purpose and extent of having a Family for the first time when he saves Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets, and an odd connection is formed between them.
1. Consequences

Harry Potter did not see anything exceptional, or even remotely special with himself. Small, scrawny and not particularly great in school. Yet, here he was, at Hogwarts, a school which taught the many wonders of magic, and in the Chamber of Secrets; a room no-one had been able to find. As if that wasn't enough, a fifteen metres long serpent lay dead as a doornail on the floor behind him, and in front of him a small girl with flaming red hair, whose life had only minutes before been close to nothing, began to stir.

"Ginny?" Harry asked tentatively.

Her eyes opened, and a pair of bright, brown orbs gazed at him. For a moment Harry was muted by their intensity. That was until her face lit up with fear and shock.

"Harry! You shouldn't be here! He'll kill you!" she exclaimed, her voice high-pitched with panic.

"Tom Riddle's gone, Ginny," Harry informed her solemnly and flung the destroyed and blackened diary at her.

She flinched away from it, causing Harry to look at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" he inquired.

Ginny only stared at him with wide eyes, without giving any visible signs of having heard him. Then she surprised him by throwing herself at him, embracing him tightly, her body shaking with quiet sobs.

"I-It was m-me, Harry, I'm s-so sorry!" she cried, her fingers digging into the fabric of his tattered, bloody robes, "I-I s-swear, I d-didn't mean t-to – h-he made me – I-I didn't – I didn't want t-to – "

Harry did the only thing he could think of; he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. As he did, he felt something fall into place inside him, as if a long-lost piece of himself had returned and found its right place at last. He pushed it aside for later investigation. Now was not the time to think about himself.

"I know you didn't. And everyone else will know too, as soon as we tell them what happened," Harry tried to comfort her.

She looked at him hopelessly. "They are all going to h-hate me! I-I'm going to be e-expelled, for sure! Oh, Harry, what am I going to do?"

Harry sat there quietly in the large, echoing Chamber with Ginny in his arms, quietly muttering comforting words into her ear. It surprised him how easy it was. He had no experience in comforting other people, and had always shied away from his peers at St. Grogory's when they teared up. It made him feel distinctly uncomfortable, and at a loss of how to deal with it. With Ginny, however, it was so simple. He almost didn't have to think. The soft words flowed from his mouth naturally, and soon her sobs were reduced to gentle hiccups.

"Ron is waiting in the pipes. A cave-in separated us but he's probably cleared the way by now," Harry told her and helped her up.

She held his hand in a firm grip, refusing to let go as they made their way back to the pipes, Harry picking up the sword and the diary on the way. Fawkes lead the way through the entrance to the Chamber, which closed with a hiss that caused Ginny to flinch and move closer to Harry.

When they reached the cave-in, Ron had managed to dig a hole large enough for them to squeeze through; Fawkes swooping through first, before Harry helped Ginny through.

"Ginny!" he heard Ron's relieved voice on the other side of the wall of rocks. When he got through he saw them embracing each other tightly. When Ron looked at Harry after a long while, it was with an expression of gratitude, and eyes sparkling of thankfulness and happiness.

"How did you –" Ron mutely shook his head, believing it all too good to be true.

Harry quickly related to him what had happened in the Chamber. As he finished, he felt a strange sense of care that he couldn't identify. It didn't make sense, and he didn't even know what it was aimed towards. He was so lost in his thoughts that he startled by a voice oddly similar to Ginny's.

 _He truly is special._

But her lips weren't moving. She watched him with admiration and a small smile on her face.

 _Ginny?_ He tried, not really expecting anything to happen. It was probably only wishful thinking or his imagination messing with him.

But then; _Harry? Can you hear me?_ He saw her eyes widening in shock, confirming the fact that she must have heard him.

 _You aren't speaking! How can I hear you?_ _What is going on?_

 _I have no idea, Harry, but panicking won't help. Calm down,_ she said and took his hand again.

Suddenly it was as if a barrier in his mind broke, and impressions, thoughts and memories that obviously weren't his own flooded his mind, making him dizzy for a moment. They were Ginny's. He saw the girl playing with her brothers in the garden at the Burrow, and if he focussed, he could see the pipe they were in from a different angle without even moving. He could see the world through her eyes.

Ron distracted them from further investigation of this new, strange connection. "D'you know how to get out of here? Lockhart's not so well; the memory charm backfired and wiped out his memory completely. He's useless." He showed them a few metres further down the pipe, where Lockhart was sitting, his back leaning against the wall. The man was dusty and uncharacteristically messy, but jovially smiled at them when he spotted them.

"Hello! Strange place, this is. Do you live here?" he wondered.

"No," Ron said, frowning.

"Oh. Well, who are you, then?" He paused. "And who am I?"

Harry then heard him continuing his nonsensical talk, but as with Ginny made notice that his lips weren't moving. _Must be really untidy people living here, then. No sense of style. And they could really use some perfume._ Lockhart wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Anticipating the worst, Harry tried to talk to Lockhart the same way he had to Ginny, but he didn't notice it. Neither did Harry feel Lockhart's mind in his, which relieved him quite a bit. He decided to try it on Ron as well, and came up with the same result; he was discussing with himself how to get out of the Chamber, considering several charms that they had been taught during their two years at Hogwarts.

 _Perhaps you can read minds?_ Ginny suggested. _Something definitely happened in there; I can feel that Ron is really, really happy, but also very confused. And Lockhart is… err… definitely confused._

Harry had to swallow a laugh. He glanced at Ron, who peered up the pipe that they had slid down almost an hour earlier.

"Ron? Did your parents tell you anything about being able to feel other people's thoughts? And to communicate with someone without speaking out loud?"

"And people's emotions?" Ginny added.

Ron peered at them over, thinking carefully. "No," he said slowly. "But Bill said that it happens occasionally, if two people are bonded – hold on! Why are you wondering about that? You surely can't… can you?"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other with uncertainty, which was all Ron needed to get his theory conformed.

"It happened in the Chamber, didn't it? When you saved her, Harry, right?" he asked quietly.

"We think so," Harry said. "I suppose it's not normal even in the Wizarding World to feel a certain other's sensory impressions and memories? And to talk telepathically?"

"I don't know what tellypattycally means," Ron pointed out, "but I sure know that sharing memories and senses is not normal. Like I said, Bill mentioned it once; he said it could happen in people who formed – what was it… a soulbond, I think. He said those were so rare that most people considered them myths."

"Do you know how they are formed, Ron?" Ginny asked.

Ron shook his head. "No. Sorry. At least try not to read my thoughts, Harry," Ron said.

"I'll try," Harry promised, "Look, I don't think we should tell anybody about this. I don't want to get the blame for trapping you in a bond, Ginny," he added, lowering his gaze sadly.

He startled when her hands boldly cupped his cheeks. "You didn't trap me, Harry. You didn't know. But if it makes you feel better, we can keep it between the three of us for a while. Is that alright with you, Ron?" she glanced at Ron, who shrugged and nodded dismissively, instead focussing on trying to find a way out.

Fawkes flew up in front of them, waving his brilliant golden tail feathers at them. Ron watched him critically. "Does he want us to grab on? He doesn't really think he can carry us all the way up, does he?"

Harry smiled. "Fawkes is not a normal bird, Ron."

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Ginny entered behind Harry, still refusing to let go of his hand. Soft sobs were heard from within Professor McGonagall's office; Harry identified them as Mrs. Weasley's when he followed Ron inside, who was shoving Lockhart in front of him.

Then there was a squeal, and he found Ginny's hand slip from his as Mrs. Weasley wrapped her in a fierce embrace.

"My little girl! You're alright!" Her brown eyes, so similar to Ginny's found Harry's, and less than a second later his air was squeezed from his chest when he and Ron were scooped into a hug. "You saved her! You – my little heros! How did you do it?"

"I think we all would like to know that."

Harry looked up to find Headmaster Dumbledore's soul-piercing blue eyes gazing at him down his crooked nose. So, Harry sat down in a chair between Ron and Mrs. Weasley, who held Ginny on her lap. Then he spent a quarter of an hour explaining what had happened in the Chamber with Professor McGonagall growing paler and paler for every sentence spoken. Mr. Weasley was deep in thought, and Dumbledore only watched Harry calmly as he talked.

He told them about how they found the Chamber, how Riddle had taunted him and how he had called out the basilisk. He explained how the diary had been at fault for all of it, and not Ginny, who was by now sobbing into her mother's chest.

"You are not at fault, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore assured her.

She glanced at him with teary eyes.

"W-What? Y-You mean… I won't be e-expelled?" she stuttered, sniffling.

"Most certainly not." Dumbledore smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. He then turned and picked up the diary that Harry had placed on Professor McGonagall's desk.

Harry spotted Ginny narrowing her eyes as she watched the ancient Headmaster, and then her gaze met his.

 _His emotions are strange. I know we shouldn't invade his privacy, but there's something fishy going on. Could you read his thoughts?_

Harry lowered the barrier that he had worked on erecting on the way from Myrtle's bathroom, in an effort to prevent accidentally reading other people's mind. As he focussed his newfound powers towards the Headmaster, he saw pictures of memories, and he heard a muttering voice that undoubtedly belonged to the Headmaster.

 _…_ _shouldn't be possible. Unless… No, that can't be. Can it? Although I wouldn't put it past him to create a Horcrux. Or several._

Harry then felt Dumbledore's gaze on him, and kept his own firmly glued to the floor, hoping he hadn't been discovered. The Headmaster's voice continued after a moment's thought.

 _No. He can't know. It'd spoil everything._ Harry caught flashes of memories and plans from Dumbledore; Harry living at the Dursleys, Harry being kept in the dark, Harry being separated from Ginny – wait, what? Confusion filling him to the brim, he focussed on his last discovery, and a well of information opened up for him.

 _A thin woman with big glasses that magnified her eyes until she resembled an insect sat in front of him, her voice speaking in raspy monotony;_ " _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._ "

The scene changed from the dusty, dingy room with the cracked windows to the Headmaster's office. The same, odd woman sat in a chair across of his desk.

 _"_ _From his heart his powers will come, though only with his Right Hand they will show… he who brings peace once, will do it twice, but alone he will fail… with his Right Hand, he will prevail… it will end at the start… because his heart is his biggest weapon…"_

The memories vanished. Instead Harry only caught the Headmaster's speculations. Mildly surprised that Dumbledore not yet had detected him, he dismissed it with the explanation that perhaps the old man couldn't feel the intrusion.

Dumbledore's contemplations brought him out of his reverie.

 _The Chamber clearly indicates that she could possibly be his Right Hand in the future, but… she's just a little girl; she has no idea. She can't help him. It'd be best to obliviate her. She must be kept away from him. Yes, it must happen this way. For the Greater Good._

"We will take Ginny to the Hospital Wing," Mr. Weasley said firmly, earning a nod of approval from the Headmaster.

"I believe I have some words to speak with Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley anyway," Dumbledore said and turned to Professor McGonagall. "Minerva, perhaps you would be so kind to ask the house-elves to send up some sandwiches? I am sure the boys are hungry after their adventure."

Professor McGonagall nodded stiffly and left the room without a word. Harry watched Dumbledore with apprehension. What he had just learned was not only disconcering; it was frightening. The worst thing was that he could not confront Dumbledore about it, as he was not very keen on Dumbledore learning of his abilities. Especially if the man wanted to obliviate Ginny.

On top of that, the danger of being expelled now loomed in front of them, and he saw Ron realizing the same thing. He was ghostly pale and fidgeting nervously. Harry was glad he was not alone in Dumbledore's presence. At least, he could trust Ron to have his back.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Dobby's big pair of green, tennis-ball-like eyes stared at Harry as he beamed happily. "Dobby is going to look for paid work now that he is free, Harry Potter sir!" the elf declared enthusiastically.

"Really? How great," Harry said, a little bewildered. He hadn't known elves worked for free. Like slaves. "Is that common, perhaps?"

"It is not, sir," Dobby said. "Most elves think they shall not take pay for work; it is bad, they say. Good house-elves serve their families like it is an honour, but Dobby is wanting pay, sir."

"Good luck. If you can't find anything, search me out, yeah?"

Dobby nodded and vanished with a crack.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

The following morning Ginny waited for Harry in the common room, far earlier than she usually would be awake. Harry, having himself had a bad night of sleep, met her there before the other students had even considered starting to wake up.

Ginny was anxious. It was easy to see that she was tormented and haunted by what she had been forced to do and what had happened in the Chamber. Harry had saved her. He had even bonded with her. He felt safe, so she stayed close to him. His hand holding hers in a firm grip brought even more comfort than her mother's hugs could.

They talked about their pasts. Ginny told him how she snuck out to fly with her brothers' broomsticks at night, and Harry told her about the time he had tricked Dudley into eating mudcake.

"He thought it was a real cake, because it was called cake. Aunt Petunia was furous, and I had to spend the whole weekend doing garden work. It was worth it to see Dudley's face though," Harry and Ginny snickered.

"You don't hate gardening anyway, do you?" she replied, sensing his less hostile feelings towards the chore he had been assigned.

"Not really. It's amazing to see things grow and change. When you work enough with the garden, you even notice day-by-day change," Harry said with a small smile.

They entered the Great Hall, which was empty. Even Dumbledore was absent. Food was not served yet, so they sat down with their school books. Harry skimmed through the potion they were brewing today and tried to make sure he understood the ingredients, which he did only half-way. Ginny tried to memorize rules about elementary transfiguration, and after a while Harry decided to help her by giving her the thumb of rule he had made himself the year before while studying for the exams.

A few selections for breakfast appeared before them before even any teachers had appeared, though Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall entered minutes after.

Harry was about to take a drink of his pumpkin juice when he noticed it. There were shimmering shades of red in the juice, as if someone had spilled dye in it, and not mixed it in properly.

 _Ginny? Do you see this?_ he asked, showing her the glass.

 _What am I supposed to see, Harry?_ She peered into the glass and then at him.

 _The red in it._ He showed her a picture of what he saw.

 _No, that's only you. There's something magical in there, then. Are you able to identify it, you think?_

Harry concentrated hard on the red streaks in the pumkin juice, and it took nearly a minute before he figured out how to. _I don't know what sort of potion it is, but it's got something to do with the mind. It's mind-altering, I think._

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Ginny looking at Dumbledore. She scowled. _Guilty as hell. He knows we caught him now. Might make him even more intent on separating us._

Harry had to hold back a growl. _As if I would let him!_

The rest of the term passed like a gust of wind. Luckily, that was the only incident of poisoned food for Harry, but he suspected it wasn't the last. His mood was on top, despite his suspicious lack of sleep. Neither Harry nor Ginny managed to get more than a few hours of sleep each night, and Ginny's sleep was more or less racked with nightmares from the Chamber, but with the basilisk dead, Draco Malfoy sulking and depressed, and all the petrified victims recovered, that little detail was not enough to dampen their mood,

Harry and Ginny discovered more and more things that they could only explain with the soulbond. The morning after the Chamber, Harry had woken up to feel a gentle humming all over the castle, and as he walked down to breakfast with Ginny he sensed and identified the magic in the portraits on the walls, the potion in that goblet, the robes that the students wore, the small bursts that formed when they practiced the freezing charm in Professor Flitwick's class, and even the magic inside people.

He had to repress a shudder at the odd feeling of Professor McGonagall's animagus form when she surveyed the class entering prior to Transfiguration class, and Potions suddenly started to make sense now that he could feel how the magic in each ingredient interacted with each other. The glee of watching Snape take twenty points from him, before then going completely quiet at seeing the Cure to Basic Digestive Ailments sapphire blue rather than the sky blue that Hermione's displayed.

Snape stared at Harry for several seconds, making him uncomfortable and fidgety. "Fairy cocoons, Mr. Potter?" he drawled at last. From his far left, Harry heard a few of the Slytherins snicker.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied uncertainly. He had studied the magic in the potion and then studied the magic the cocoons possessed, and had been pretty certain it would make the potion even better, but now he was starting to doubt himself.

To his surprise, Snape didn't say anything else, and moved on to Seamus, whose potion was seafoam green rather than blue. Hermione turned around from the desk she shared with Neville in front of them and looked at Harry.

"It's supposed to be light blue, Harry. The recipe doesn't say anything about fairy cocoons," she pointed out in a hushed voice.

"I'll explain later," Harry responded.

The bell had not even finished ringing before Hermione glared at him, demanding an explanation. Harry pulled her and Ron aside and quietly explained to Hermione what had happened in the Chamber and the abilities he and Ginny had discovered afterwards.

Until the last day of term the Harry and Ginny spent hours in the library researching soulbonds, which had for once made Ron enter the library willingly to help. Hermione had taken the news gracefully, and had promised to keep it all silent; her knowledge of the library was far too great to be wasted.

"So you can hear each other talking in your minds? Like each other's thoughts?" she inquired, hastily writing notes on a piece of parchment.

"Yep," Harry said.

"And you can respond to each other?"

"Yes," Ginny added, "and I can see the world from Harry's perspective; what he hears, what he sees, feels, tastes or smells."

"How does it work if Ginny eats a tuna sandwich and Harry eats chocolate sauce at the same time?" Ron wondered.

Harry had to snort at Ron's typical interest in food before he realized that it was actually a very good question. "We don't taste what the other taste unless we consciously try to," Harry explained.

"Oh. Right. But you have to admit it'd be cool to test new things out," Ron grinned and wandered further down the book shelves.

"Did you say you could hear Dumbledore's thoughts, Harry?" Hermione asked, dragging the conversation back to the original subject.

"Yeah, but I only tried because Ginny thought his emotions looked suspicious," Harry hurried to defend himself. He flicked through _Magical Myths and Legends_ in search of any clue about soulbonds.

"Don't put all the blame on me!" she retorted hotly. _Besides, something good came out of it. I wish there was somewhere safe we could tell them. Mum and dad definitely ought to know. And Bill would probably know what to do,_ she added quietly to Harry.

 _Yeah, but Dumbledore's got ears all over the castle. It's even risky to talk about the bond here. I'll see if there are any books about it in Flourish and Blotts in the summer._ Harry glanced up and saw Hermione watching them curiously.

"Well, if you're done, you can answer me if there are any other effects that you notice?"

"Errm… There is this funny thing going on when I do a charm. It's like my magic is too sensitive, or reacts too violently, or something," Harry admitted, shifting uncomfortably.

"Are you sure?" Hermione watched him thoughrfully and drew her wand. "Try to disarm me."

"A-Alright." Harry pulled his as well and aimed it at Hermione. " _Expelliarmus!_ "

A scarlet red flash of light zoomed from the tip of his wand; he felt the magic only a short moment before the spell hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her from her feet, several metres backwards and into the bookshelf dedicated to Magical Creatures. She slid down on the floor, unconscious.

"Oh! Damn!" Harry muttered and hurried over to her, panicking. "Hermione!"

Ginny and Ron weren't far behind, and Ginny pointed her wand at her, " _Rennervate!_ "

Hermione's eyes opened, and she turned and looked at Harry. "Disarm, Harry, not stun."

Harry laughed in relief, and gave her an impulsive hug. "I'm sorry; I did use the disarming charm; Ginny and Ron saw it."

Ron and Ginny nodded in confirmation and helped Hermione sit down on a chair. She shifted a little, obvously sore from the impact, but she didn't say anything. Harry returned her wand to her and joined Ginny and Ron in searching the shelves.

"You must have some serious power, then, Harry," Ron reasoned and pulled out a small book from the shelf. "Perhaps it increased your magical resources."

"Then why doesn't Ginny have the same problem?" Harry wondered, looking between Ginny, Ron and Hermione.

"I'm not going to complain," Ginny said dismissively, "more power would be nice, but at least one of us got it. Besides, the bond might have more surprises in store for us."

Ron flicked through the book, shaking his head in disappointment. "Nothing here either. I'm starting to believe that Bill was joking with me."

"He wasn't." Hermione's voice had everyone turn towards her. She was leaning over one of the books that they had stacked up on the table, " _'Thought to be a myth, soulbonds are extremely rare. Only a handful have been recorded in history, and even less is known about it. It is, however, known that it affects the male and the female differently. The male becomes a protector; it is known that his magical strength is multiplied several times over, whereas the female is powerful of mind.'"_

"How can Ginny be the one with power of mind when Harry's the one who can read thoughts?" Ron wondered.

"I think it refers to other things. Ginny is shrewd and headstrong; after all, she fought You-Know-Who for many months," Hermione reasoned. "It's strange, though. This is the only thing the book says about it, except for it being thought of as a myth."

A loud grumble from Ron's stomach caused them all to laugh, and Ron's ears to turn red.

"That's a good point, Ron," Harry smiled. "We might as well head for dinner; it's nearly time, and it doesn't seem like we are going to find anything here anyway."

They quickly returned the books to the shelves and headed down for dinner.


	2. The Minister for Magic

Disclaimer: The story of Harry Potter belongs to the marvellous J.K. Rowling.

Harry was fuming. The nerve of that woman! His dad was no lazy scrounger, and his mother was certainly not a bad egg!

 _Stupid Aunt Marge!_ Harry growled as he hurried down the pavement of Magnolia Crescent, dragging his trunk behind him and Hedwig's empty cage perched on top. His beautiful owl had been gone for several days now, and Harry was concerned about her.

 _Harry? What's the matter?_ Ginny's concerned voice broke through his anger-clouded mind.

Harry quickly showed her the events of the evening through their connection. Just as he was done, a rustle of leaves startled him. He paused and turned towards the source of the sound, in the hedge beside the pavement, his wand already in hand. Along with the odd feeling of being watched, his newfound sensitivity to magic told him that there was something there. Someone or something possessing some sort of magic was watching him.

"Come out! I know you're there!" he hoped he sounded fiercer than he felt. "You can't hide from me!"

A few quiet seconds passed. The occasional yowl from a cat was heard in the distance, and the sound of cricket chirping in the grass broke the otherwise quiet evening. Then there was some more rustling of leaves, and something big and black stepped out of the hedge.

It was a dog; a shaggy black dog. But not a normal one. Of course, when did normal things ever happen around Harry? No, it was enormous, and the magic that it possessed made him think of Professor McGonagall… it hit him like a lightning.

"Show yourself! You're an animagus, you are! Are you one of Voldemort's spies, perhaps?" Harry snapped, keeping his wand carefully aimed at the dog, which was watching him carefully.

He couldn't help but remember Quirrel, who had been a servant of Voldemort. He probably had more of his servants around. That would explain why there was someone magical so close to Privet Drive. They were probably spying on him! With an angry growl, Harry prepared to cast a Full Body-Bind Curse when the dog began to change.

It morphed into a man. He was so thin that his waxy, pale skin looked as though it wrapped a skull only. His face was gaunt and framed by matted, tangled tresses that reached to his elbows. Although sunken into their sockets, a pair of grey eyes watched Harry with a mixture of emotions; longing, pain, curiosity, relief, even awe, but Harry, despite his previous suspicions, could not find anything bad. No hate, no annoyance, and no resentment.

The man smiled weakly. "You look so much like your father. We were best buddies, you know." His voice was hoarse, as if it hadn't been used in a long time. Nevertheless, it was soft and gentle, void of any contempt.

Harry froze, and his wand almost dropped before he caught himself at it, and reinforced is grip. "Who are you?" he demanded, glaring at the man.

Another smile crossed the man's face, albeit this one was sad. "My name is Sirius Black," he said, watching Harry warily, as if expecting to be attacked. Harry just looked back, expectantly, although he noticed Ginny tense up.

"I suppose I should start with the beginning. Harry, have you heard about the Fidelius Charm?"

Harry felt Ginny perk up in recognition, but shook his head. "No."

"Well, it is a charm that can hide anything from being found in any way except by being told of the secret by what we call a Secret Keeper, who will have to choose to speak; you cannot trick him into revealing the secret. You and your parents were hid by this charm when you were one year old," Sirius explained, gingerly sitting down on the pavement as if his muscles were sore. "Your parents wanted to make me the Secret Keeper, but I insisted they chose another one, because James and I were best friends, and I would have been the obvious choice. I suggested on another friend of ours; Peter Pettigrew, who would be thought of as rather weak and not a likely Secret Keeper." Sirius' gaze grew distant and sad. "If only I hadn't… they would have been alive… it doesn't matter anymore."

His gaze met Harry's tingling with unshed tears. "On the night your parents were killed, I went to your home as soon as I heard you had been attacked. Hagrid was there, ready to take you to live somewhere else. Dumbledore's orders. I let him borrow my enchanted motorbike, and went to chase after Pettigrew, my mind clouded with grief and anger. I didn't see reason at all, or I would have acted differently. I'm your godfather, Harry. If I hadn't been so foolish that night, I could have taken you home with me and raised you like you deserved to be raised, and not with those magic-hating good-for-nothing muggle relatives of yours."

Sirius sniffed lowly. Harry could barely comprehend what he was hearing; he didn't have to have been raised with the Dursleys at all! He could have been raised like a wizard – by his godfather, nonetheless!

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered. "I found Pettigrew the next morning. He screamed at me in the middle of the street how I could betray James and Lily, and then he proceeded by blowing up the street with his wand behind his back, killing everyone within twenty feet of himself. Then he cut off a finger and transformed into his animagus form – a rat, oddly fitting now, isn't it? And then he escaped through he sewers."

Harry watched him suspiciously. He wished Ginny was here to tell if he was lying or not.

 _You could check for yourself, you know,_ Ginny reminded him.

 _Oh. Right,_ Harry replied sheepishly and opened up to read Sirius' mind, telling himself it was for security reasons. The first things he found were pictures from Sirius' confrontation with a short man with watery eyes and a pointed nose that even in human form made him resemble a rat.

As he dug further, he caught a glimpse of Sirius talking to his parents about the Secret Keeper switch, and then pictures from Sirius' childhood. He spotted teenage Pettigrew along with his father and a boy with light brown hair and several scars on his face that teenage James and Sirius called Moony. Finding it with little connection to Sirius' story, Harry withdrew from Sirius' mind, his own thoughts spinning.

When he looked at Sirius again, he didn't appear to have noticed the intrusion, and after a few moments of reminiscing, continued his tale.

"I was found like that, laughing at the insanity of everything; how my best friend was dead, and how my other friend had tricked me. I was chucked straight into the wizarding prison Azkaban without even a trial." Sirius laughed, but it was so sad, so filled with frustration that Harry found it painful to hear.

"Then… how are you here?" he found himself asking, "did you escape?"

Sirius smiled grimly. "I did." He reached inside his tattered robes and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, which he showed to Harry.

It displayed the whole Weasley family while on holiday to Egypt. Harry stared at Sirius in alarm. "The Weasleys? What do they have to do with Pettigrew?" he demanded, his voice choked up. He felt Ginny's fear radiating across their bond, but she was wise enough to stay quiet and wait for Sirius' explanation.

"No. Not the Weasleys. See the rat on that boy's shoulder?" Sirius pointed at Scabbers, who was perched on Ron's left shoulder. "I have seen Pettigrew transform so many times; I'd recognize him everywhere. See, it's missing a toe."

 _I'm telling dad!_ Sounded Ginny's panicked voice, and Harry noticed her hurrying through the house they were borrowing in Egypt.

 _Wait! How will you explain that you know?_ Harry interrupted.

This made Ginny skid to a halt and slide depressedly down against the wall. _Damn! We've got to tell mum and dad at one point, though._

Harry could only return his consent. "So you escaped to get revenge on Pettigrew?" Harry asked Sirius.

Sirius looked back gravely. "I escaped because the caption said that the kid was going back to Hogwarts, which is where you would be. And I couldn't let him hurt you again if I could help it. My mistakes have already hurt you more than enough."

Harry slumped down on the pavement in front of Sirius, who looked back with solemnity. Then he surprised himself by leaning over and giving Sirius a hug. Sirius froze, and when Harry pulled back, looked at him with shock in his eyes.

"Y-You believe me?" he asked, his face displaying a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief.

"Yeah," Harry replied softly.

"I didn't think you would…"

For a long time they sat there quietly on the pavement, looking at each other.

"How come you are out here this late, Harry?"

Blushing, Harry told him how Aunt Marge had provoked him to blow her up like a balloon. Rather than scolding him, Sirius roared in laughter.

"Well done! Serves her right, I'd say," he said with a wide grin.

"But now I'm probably in trouble with the Ministry. I didn't intend to, but it's underage magic nonetheless," Harry said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Have you received a letter yet?" Sirius asked him.

"A letter?"

"From the Ministry?"

"No."

"Take it with a pinch of salt, but I'd say they're letting you go," Sirius said with a shrug.

"Really?" Harry asked. He barely dared believe what he had head. He might not be expelled after all, and he might not turn out like Hagrid, having his wand broken.

"Yes, but like I said, don't get your hopes up too much." Sirius watched him closely. "Where were you heading before you spotted me?"

"I don't know. I was just running. I had to get away."

"I wish I had someplace I could take you, Harry, but I don't. Do you have any money? Of course you do; your parents were filthy rich, weren't they? I suggest you go and stay at The Leaky Cauldron. Take the Knight Bus. It's dead uncomfortable, but it does the job. Just stick your wand into the road like you would when stopping a… err… car, that's it."

Harry nodded.

"And… if you like… I understand if you don't want to, but if… if I get freed, and… if you'd rather live elsewhere, that's okay, but I was thinking?"

"I could move in with you?" Harry asked, feeling a flutter of hope in his stomach, "you mean I could leave the Dursleys forever?"

"Well, you don't have to, if you'd rather live with your aunt – "

"Are you insane? I never want to stay with the Dursleys again if I could help it!" Harry exclaimed happily.

A goofy grin appeared on Sirius's face. "That's something to look forward to, then."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Can I write to you? I've got an owl – "

"Yes, of course, Harry." Sirius stood and held out his hand to pull Harry on his feet. "I will be awaiting your letter, then. We might discuss how to deal with Pettigrew."

"Yeah, good idea."

Sirius smiled and in a second the scruffy black dog stood in Sirius' place. The dog bounced into the hedge that it had emerged from, and disappeared.

Smiling faintly to himself, Harry turned to the street and held his wand out in the road, like Sirius had told him to do. There was a loud bang, and then Harry was forced to shield his eyes against a blinding light. A violently purple tripledecker bus screeched to a halt in front of him, and the door opened, revealing a young man, who, judging by the look, appeared to be only a year or two out of Hogwarts, and had a face covered in pimples. He wore a uniform so purple he could disappear as one with the Knight Bus.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening," he spoke as though it was memorized from a note, which, Harry thought, it probably was.

"Err… right, I'm going to The Leaky Cauldron," Harry said.

"Right you are!" Stan declared and picked up Harry's trunk, leading the way into the bus. "That will be eleven sickles. But for firteen you can get 'ot chocolate, and for fifteen you can have a 'ot water bottle and a toofbrush with your choice of colour."

"Only the ticket, please," Harry said and bent to rummage though his trunk for his wizarding money. He dropped the requested amount of silver coins into Stan's waiting hand, and was shown upstairs to one of the brass beds on first floor, underneath which Stan stoved Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage. There were only two others there; an elderly man snoring heavily at the rear, and a woman muttering about someone called Francis and dragon blood.

"Righ', then, we'll be there soon; I'll tell you," Stan informed him and walked off. A moment later the bus made a mighty lurch and a bang, and Harry, having stood straight a moment prior, now lay flat on the bed. When he straightened up enough to look out the window, he noticed that they were no longer in Magnolia Crescent.

 _Do you have time to talk now, Harry?_ Ginny asked. She sounded much calmer now, though still indignant.

 _Yeah. I have a godfather. And he wants me,_ Harry muttered in a tone of mild disbelief.

 _Of course he wants you. Why wouldn't he want you? Anyway, I should probably warn you; The wizarding world thinks it was Sirius who betrayed your parents and killed twelve muggles and Pettigrew on the go. I was one of them until a few minutes ago,_ Ginny told him.

 _Well, they didn't give him a trial,_ Harry replied grumpily.

 _Don't take that out on me,_ Ginny replied firmly, _I agree with you._

 _Sorry,_ Harry said.

 _Anyway, Ron spoke to me while you were talking to Sirius; he reckons we should tell Bill about the bond, because he's the one who knows this stuff anyway. The library didn't tell us anything,_ Ginny said.

 _Might as well. I just hope he won't be too mad when he learns that I've trapped his little sister in a magic bond,_ Harry replied darkly.

 _Bill is not as rash as the rest of the family, Harry. He normally thinks things through before he reaches a conclusion. Besides, we need to understand what this is and what it means,_ Ginny reasoned.

 _Alright; you tell him then, since you're in Egypt with him._

 _I'll ask Ron to be there too, since he knows and has already been so helpful._

Harry replied with a mental nod and watched Stan climb the narrow stairs up to second floor. He came back down leading a woman clutching a handkerchief over her mouth. Harry didn't blame her for being sick; he imagined what Uncle Vernon would have said if he'd taken the ride. In a normal muggle bus Harry reckoned the driver wouldn't even make it through first driving lesson before colliding into something. The Knight Bus was different, however. Lampposts and trash cans jumped out of its way and back as they passed.

Harry rolled out of the bed when the bus braked to a halt. It stood for a few moments before moving again. Ginny returned her attention to him, and they spent the rest of the travel talking about the upcoming Hogwarts year. He had decided to take Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes, even though Ron had chosen Divination instead of Ancient Runes before they had left Hogwarts for summer holiday. Ginny had convinced him to take Ancient Runes because her older brothers (except for Ron) had claimed that Divination really was questionable as a subject, and pointless unless you had seer abilities, which very few had. She was only hoping that her second year was less eventful than her first, but Harry reckoned that since he was such a magnet for trouble, she shouldn't expect it to be peaceful.

The Kight Bus made several stops before Stan came upstairs and announced that The Leaky Cauldron was next stop. Harry was let off with his trunk and Hedwig's cage, and the Knight Bus disappeared again.

"Hello there, Harry."

Harry tensed and immediately had his wand aimed at the source of the voice, dropping Hedwig's cage so it tumbled over and rolled off the pavement. A shadow by the door to the pub moved towards him. As it stepped into the dim lights from the lampposts, Harry recognized him from the year before; Minister Fudge.

 _What in Merlin's world is the Minister doing here? What would he want you?_ Ginny explained, shock evident in her voice.

 _No idea. I'm sure he wouldn't care if someone other than me ran away from home,_ Harry said bitterly.

"Now, now, Harry; no need to get defensive."

Harry hesitated for a moment before lowering his wand. "Sorry."

"Quite alright, my boy," the Minister said jovially. "I expect with such an eventful evening, you are right to be on edge. Come inside now; I believe we should have a talk."

Inside, Harry was shown into a parlour with a fireplace lit, even though it was mid summer, and into a rather old, but comfortable chair. He tossed away one of the pillows in it and watched the Minister apprehensively as Tom left the room.

"I am Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic," he began, as if Harry didn't know already.

"What are you doing here? Did the Ministry send the Minister for my punish?" Harry asked suspiciously. He doubted that the Minister dealed with underage magic at all.

Minister Fudge chuckled. "We won't punish you for a silly little thing like that! It was an accident!" he said jovially. "We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!" Minister Fugde leaned back into his chair and stared into the fireplace, a smile on his face. Harry couldn't believe his own ears. He'd bet anything other children would be severely punished if they did magic out of Hogwarts. "I must say you gave us quite the scare running away like that."

Harry reddened, but didn't say anything.

"But you're safe, and that's what's important. Especially now with Black on the loose. I expect you've heard of him, yes?" the Minister watched Harry closely.

Harry nodded. "Vaguely," he lied, testing the Minister.

"Yes, yes. He was one of You-Know-Who's most loyal followers, see; betrayed your parents that night… the Aurors think he escaped from Azkaban in order to capture you and kill you," Minister Fudge said solemnly, and paused as Tom entered with a tray with tea and crumpets. "That he were to finish the job You-Know-Who began."

"How do you know?" Harry demanded.

Minister Fudge's eyes followed Tom as he left the room. "That he wants to kill you?"

"No, that he's loyal to Voldemort," Harry corrected and wrinkled his nose as Fudge flinched at the name.

"Well, of course he is! He was seen killing Pettigrew and those poor muggles by several witnesses, you see, Harry – "

"Yes, well, what one sees might not always be correct. Did he admit it during his trial?" Harry wondered. He watched Fudge curiously as the man's face turned white. It gave Harry the excuse he needed to investigate the man's mind. From what he knew of the man before, and how the meeting had happened so far, the less he liked the man, and backed up his suspicious feelings towards Fudge.

"Harry, dear boy, I think we should rather – "

"He didn't have a trial, did he?" Harry asked suspiciously, slightly proud over his own acting skills.

Fudge's face was by now void of all colour, and he was shifting uncomfortably, stuttering incoherently, as if trying to figure out what to say next.

"There were witnesses!" he exclaimed at last. "There was no doubt!"

Harry narrowed his eyes dangerously, his anger filling him. "You are aware of that it is my godfather you lot condemned to prison without an opportunity to explain what really happened? Who paid you for it?" he demanded, using the newfound knowledge in Fudge's own mind, "Malfoy? It wouldn't be the only time, would it? Wouldn't it be convenient of someone just so discretely slipped a tip to the prophet that a man has been condemned to prison without a trial, which is, for all it matters, a crime in itself? What do you think they would say if they learned their own Ministry is up to their ears in corruption? And I'm sure the Minister, of all, would know that the use of the Imperius Curse is illegal?" Harry raised a brow at him and watched with glee as Fudge breathed heavily, his ghostly white face now filled with panic.

"You – you know… how..? I never told anyone!" Fudge stuttered, his uneaten crumpet dangling from his fingers.

"I'll make a deal with you," Harry snarled angrily. "I want to see announcements of Sirius Black's trial in the Daily Prophet tomorrow, and I want Black questioned with truth serum, just to make sure, should there be any doubt. If you still find him guilty of killing Pettigrew, twelve muggles and betraying my parents, then he deserves his personal cell in Azkaban. If he is found innocent, he is to be released with pardon and compensation. Clear?"

Fudge nodded mutely, swallowing heavily before dabbing beads of sweat from his face with a handkerchief.

Finally satisfied, Harry withdrew from Fudge's mind. "Good. I don't think I have to remind you the consequences should you tell others of what we have discussed. I will be staying here for the time being; thank you for your concern of my well-being, Minister," Harry said and stood. Leaving his untouched tea behind, he left the parlour and headed back to the pub.

 _You did that very well, Harry. I really can't believe the Minister of Magic did all that,_ Ginny said. With the excitement having calmed down, tiredness had taken over. She yawned greatly, and Harry chuckled softly.

 _Me neither. Especially not the Imperius Curse. It was a minor incident, but it still was the Imperius Curse,_ Harry said.

Tom smiled kindly at him when he approached. "Everything alright, Mr. Potter? Some more tea, perhaps?"

"No, thank you. I was just wondering if I could have a room to stay in for the time being? I have only money for tonight, but I can step by Gringotts tomorrow to get more," Harry said politely, his anger having disappated.

"Of course! I expected as much, so I have already taken the liberty to bring your things up," Tom informed him. "Follow me, please."

Harry was taken up a handsome staircase and down a corridor to a room with the number eleven made out of brass. Tom unlocked the door and opened it, letting Harry inside a cozy room with a bed that looked far comfortable than his own lumpy mattress at Privet Drive; a packet lying on the bedspread, some gleaming polished oak furniture, and Hedwig perched on top of the wardrobe.

"Hedwig!" he exclaimed delightedly, and the snowy owl soared down to land on his arm. He dug his fingers into her soft plumage and beamed.

"She arrived only five minutes after you, Mr. Potter. One of the brighter birds, that one," Tom said cheerfully. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Harry just nodded and walked over to peer out of the window as Tom left the room, leaving the key on the table. It was dark outside, but Harry could still see lights from the buildings in Diagon Alley. Sensing Ginny slowly falling asleep, he climbed into the bed and fell asleep with his glasses on and Hedwig on the mattress beside him, keeping guard, even forgetting to check the present that lay beside him.


	3. The trial

Harry got his hands on the Daily Prophet at breakfast the next morning. Ginny was already investigating the Egyptian tombs with her brothers, since Egypt was two hours before Britain.

 _Gin, look at this!_ He exclaimed happily as he read the front page. Hedwig, who had insisted on coming down to breakfast with him, took the opportunity of his distraction to take a sip of his pumpkin juice.

 _What, Harry?_ She asked, peering into his mind as he showed her the front page.

 _BLACK SENTENCED WITHOUT TRIAL – CASE REOPENED!_

 _Late last night an emergency Wizengamot meeting was called together, where it was shed light upon Sirius Black's capture and imprisonment in 1981. He was at the point though to be the man who betrayed the Potters and who killed thirteen people while laughing like a madman. However, it was revealed last night that Black was condemned to a lifetime in prison without his legal right to a trial. With no opportunity to explain himself, how can we all be sure of what happened? Could there be more to the story than what those witnesses could tell?_

 _With these questions in mind, the Wizengamot will set a trial for August 3_ _rd_ _, and ask Mr. Black to give himself over to the Ministry at latest in two days, August 2_ _nd_ _to stay in a holding cell at the Ministry until the trial, which will be done with Veridicus Stilla, to erase all doubt._

 _(More about the betrayal of the Potters, page 4, interview with Remus Lupin, close friend of the Potters and Sirius Black on page 5)_

 _That's brilliant, Harry!_ Ginny exclaimed.

 _Isn't it? Better than the Monster Book of Monsters from Hagrid,_ Harry thought of the book that had arrived as a wrapped present this morning along with a note from the Hogwarts Keeper of the Keys.

 _Did you notice they didn't mention Fudge in the article at all? I suppose he doesn't want to be associated with it, since he was one of the vocal ones for having Black imprisoned last time,_ Ginny reasoned as she watched Bill relate the discovery of one particularly big tomb.

 _I noticed,_ Harry said, _although he did what I asked of him, so I'm not going to complain. I should write a letter to Sirius._

He ripped the page out of the _Prophet,_ rummaged in his school bag, which had been squished inside his trunk all summer, and found a torn piece of parchment.

 _Dear Sirius,_

 _The Ministry has arranged your trial. I'm not sure if you would know while in hiding, so I thought I'd send this to you. I hope it goes well._

 _Harry._

He folded the note inside the ripped news page and tucked it in Hedwig's beak. "Can you find Sirius for me?" he muttered softly to her.

Hedwig hooted and allowed him to carry her to the open window, where she flew off.

 _Ginny, do you know what Veridicus Stilla is? Is it a spell? It sounds latin,_ Harry pointed out.

 _It's a truth potion, I think. More powerful than Veritaserum, which is unreliable because it's possible to resist, but it's more risky to use too, so it's not normally used in trials. At least dad says so,_ Ginny told him. _Anyway, I think I'll tell Bill about our bond today. We'll be leaving in four days, so that way he might have some time to dig out some information before we leave._

 _That might be a good idea,_ Harry agreed and returned to his breakfast.

 _What are you going to do today?_

 _Finish that essay about witch burnings for Professor Binns. It's the only one left now,_ Harry said.

Harry finished the essay with some help from Florean Fortesque, who ran the ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley. With his knowledge of medieval witch burning, it was done by mid afternoon. By then, Ginny had related the events of the Chamber and what had happened afterwards to a more than shocked Bill.

Ron had been there and confirmed everything, even the mental communication and Harry's mind-reading abilities.

"I'm not an expert, mind you, and I don't think anyone is, because of the rarity of such a bond. But according to what I know, the symptoms are all there. Just to be certain, I could do a spell to check, but that would require Harry too," Bill said with a frown, watching Ginny.

"He's staying at The Leaky Cauldron. We could go there as soon as we get home to England," Ginny said, and upon Bill's quizzical expression, quickly explained why.

"And they let him off, just like that?"

"Yes," Ginny answered.

"Right… I suppose we should do that, then. If it is a soulbond, which we think it is, a prolonged first stage is not beneficial for your health – for either of you," Bill said.

"So what are we going to do? Harry and I both wanted to be there to tell mum and dad, but since Ron said you knew of it, we had to ask you," Ginny said.

"It's okay to wait until we get Harry; I think it's best, actually. Separating a complete soulbonded couple can have devastating effects, especially if Harry already is as strong as you say he is. It's even more illegal when the bond is completed. He's supposed to gain most of his powers only after that, and you two will grow very dependent of each other," Bill said, looking from Harry to Ginny and back.

"How do you complete a soulbond?" Ron asked, watching Bill with a slight apprehension.

"With a kiss," Bill said grimly.

"A kiss? Oh Merlin! Mum's going to go spare!" Ginny exclaimed, "how are we going to explain that to her?"

"Simple. It's not healthy for you to remain at the first stage long enough for you to grow up, and to try to destroy the bond will kill you both. She has no option," Bill said. He did not look happy, but who would, when knowing his almost-twelve years old little sister was magically bound to a boy only a year older than her for the rest of her life?

Ginny had assured both of her brothers that she and Harry genuinely cared about each other, and that they couldn't be happier with the bond. While not expected, Ginny firmly told Bill that she couldn't live her life without Harry now that she had him, and Harry told her to inform Bill that he felt the same way.

Hedwig returned in the evening with a reply from Sirius.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _Thank you for telling me. I will turn myself in, although I will cross my fingers and hope that the trial happens the way the Prophet says it will._

 _Sirius._

That evening, after having polished his Nimbus 2000 with the Broomstick Servicing Kit Hermione had sent him with Hedwig, who had flown to France on her own initiative, he fell into a deep sleep where he dreamt of Ginny. They were chatting and laughing in a flowery meadow. All of the sudden, she kissed him. From where their lips met a pleasant tingling spread through Harry's body. She beamed at him and kissed him again, once again sending those pulses of pleasantness through him.

Then he woke. Recalling Ginny's discussion with Bill the day before, he wondered if kissing Ginny for real would feel like this. He realized that he wanted to try; in fact, he needed to kiss her. It felt like a requirement for living that had appeared overnight. All through the day and through the next night he had to fight in order to not think of kissing Ginny absolutely all the time. At some points he thought he was going crazy until Ginny reminded him that she felt likewise, and that it probably was because of the bond.

August 2nd Harry received a letter from a brown owl that he didn't recognize. He relieved it from the letter and opened it. There was no seal indicating who it was from.

 _Mr. Harry Potter,_

 _I invite you to come and watch the trial of Sirius Black tomorrow at 10.00 a.m., courtroom 10. Seat 15G will be saved for you, just please keep my name out of it if you have to explain to anyone._

 _C.O.F._

Harry had to think twice about who C.O.F. was, but with the last sentence and the C and the F concluded it to be Cornelius Fudge, with O representing his middle name.

 _That's kind of him,_ Ginny said.

 _I rather think he did it to make sure I am satisfied with the trial,_ Harry replied in a smug tone.

Ginny answered with a giggle. _I'm looking forward to see the trial tomorrow. It's going to be very interesting._

 _Do you have any idea of how to get to the Ministry of Magic? Does't Mr. Weasley work there?_

 _Uhh… yeah, I think I might remember; there's a fellytone booth in London somewhere… Whitehall! It's supposed to be in an old booth near that underground trainstation; I was there once when Ron, Percy and the twins were with mum in Diagon Alley, and I went with Charlie to visit dad at work. We walked from The Leaky Cauldron; it's not far at all._

 _A telephone booth, Ginny,_ Harry corrected in an amused voice.

 _Yeah, that. And then you dial… err… magic, but I didn't understand that when Charlie said it,_ Ginny said.

 _I do,_ Harry ensured her, remembering the layout of letters and numbers on telephone.

Harry spent the day before Sirius' trial, wondering how things would turn out if his godfather was declared innocent. Would he be able to leave the Dursleys? Perhaps Sirius would want to live with him? He knew he shouldn't get his hope up, remembering how bad Sirius had looked when he'd encountered him in Surrey.

He also checked out the shops in Diagon Alley, and searched Flourish and Blotts from top to bottom for a book about soulbonds, and when he asked the clerk for a book about it for a research project about magical myths and legends, the man told him that he'd have more luck in Knockturn Alley, but advised him not to go there without an adult. Or not at all.

Harry, having been in Knockturn Alley by accident, had no problem following the advice, and left to Madam Malkin's to buy a set of robes that he could use outside of Hogwarts. They ended up being dark blue, formal enough for watching a trial, Madam Malkin assured him when he explained his purpose.

Harry woke early, even for him, the day of Sirius' trial. Even Ginny was still asleep, but Harry couldn't make himself go back to sleep; the prospect of leaving the Dursleys had him pacing the room until the clock reached six in the morning, when Tom opened up for breakfast.

While Tom served him toast with eggs and bacon, Harry asked him for the route to the guest entrance of the Ministry of Magic.

Tom watched him with wide eyes. "You surely aren't going there alone, are you, Mr. Potter?"

"There's no one else I could go with. I've heard it's a rather short walk?"

"Indeed it is. Let me have a moment; I will get you a map and draw a route for you," Tom said kindly.

"Thank you, Sir," Harry said gratefully and turned his attention to his breakfast.

Tom soon returned, and Ginny, having woken up by now, paid as close attention as Harry to his explanation. "It's an old, rather shabby telephone booth; red. You can't miss it. Then you dial 6-2-4-4-2. Pardon me, I haven't been inside the Ministry much, but I think there is a sign. Or at least there should be someone to ask how to find what you're looking for."

"Right. Thanks," Harry said and took the map. He studied it for a while after Tom had left, and basically waited for time to pass.

At nine o'clock he couldn't find a valid enough excuse to wait a little longer, even though Tom had said that the trip was only a few minutes of brisk walk.

He found the telephone booth rather easily, stepped inside and dialled the number.

 _Oh, that's what it means! I didn't know there were letters with the numbers,_ Ginny said, watching the telephone through him.

 _It normally is. Although this phone is oldfashioned by muggle standards. I haven't seen anyone with a rotary dial,_ Harry said.

He then startled by a female voice, which sounded as if the woman was right beside him, and not like a muggle loudspeaker system. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and purpose."

Harry hesitated for a short moment. "Harry Potter. I'm here to watch a trial."

"Thank you. Please take the badge and pin it to the front of your robes."

A badge slid out through the chute below the phone, where money usually was returned. It said _Harry Potter – Trial witness._ Harry took it and pinned it to the right side of the chest of his brand new robes.

"You are required to subit to search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the atrium."

The floor shook, and then it dropped. For a long while the lift continued to drop into the darkness of the ground until it lowered into a vast hall with dark, polished wooden floor and walls. Above was a peacock blue ceiling decorated with symbols and figures of gold that shifted and re-shaped continuously. By the walls were exquisitely decorated fireplaces; from those on the left side people emerged with a soft _woosh_ every other second. On the right side were short lines of people waiting to floo out of the building. A massive fountain was placed in the middle of the atrium, and dozens of paper planes flew through the air with no logical source of power.

"The Ministry wishes you a pleasant day," the woman spoke, and the door sprung open. Harry stepped outside and immediately began to search for the security desk. He found it rather easily, and the wizared lounging in a chair beside it with a newspaper, stood when Harry stopped in front of him. He looked rather scruffy to be working in such a high place as the Ministry.

Without a word he led a flexible golden stick down Harry's body on the front and back. He looked no less bored by his discoveries.

"Your wand, please," he said.

Harry hesitantly handed over his wand, which the wizard put inside an odd-looking brass device. It spewed out a strip of parchment that the wizard took and read. "Phoenix core, eleven inches, in use for two years, yeah?"

"Yes," Harry replied, wondering what the data would be good for. The wizard shoved the wand back into Harry's hand and sat down, picking up his newspaper again. Ginny made a snide comment about him that almost had Harry laughing.

Harry looked around for the sign that Tom had mentioned earlier. He found it on the wall beside a set of lifts. _Level 10, courtrooms._ Right, then. He managed to get into one of the lifts along with a stern-looking square-jawed woman in plum coloured robes with a W on her chest, a girl looking only two or three years out of Hogwarts, having bubble gum pink hair and looking very anxious. Beside her, with his hand on her shoulder was a man with long, dark grey hair and a face looking like it had been carved out of wood by a child who only had the faintest idea of how a human should look, but the most shocking was the man's eye, which swirled around and around, even into his own skull. It now looked at him.

"Going to the hearing, boy?" His voice was growling, as if he tried to be constantly threatening.

"Umm… yes, sir," Harry said.

 _That's Mad-Eye Moody,_ Ginny pointed out. _Daddy says he's the best aurors in modern history; he's chucked loads of people into Azkaban._

"Best follow us, then, Potter; you wouldn't find it otherwise."

Harry hurried to flatten his hair over his scar, but then remembered and gave the sign on his chest a look of betrayal. The square-jawed woman and the girl with bubble gum hair stiffened when Moody spoke his name.

"Potter?" The woman turned him around by his shoulder as the lift began to drop, her eyes narrowing so her monocle dug into her eyebrow.

"Yes, madam. Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all. He is your godfather, isn't he? Black, I mean?"

Harry nodded.

The lift stopped at _"Level nine, the Department of Mysteries",_ according to the female voice in the lift. A little confused, Harry decided to follow the others out; he had thought it would take them another level down, but instead the small group of four climbed down a flight of stairs to a corridor with rough stone walls and looking positively ancient with the burning torches and a large, grimy door with heavy locks, which was now standing ajar. On either side was an auror, nodding in recognition to Moody and the pink-haired girl, and a polite inclination of their heads to the stern woman.

"I trust you to find your own seat, then, Potter. Trainee Tonks, you and I will do the parametre of the room before the convicted arrives." Moody led the pink-haired girl away, and the stern-looking woman gave Harry a faint smile before she moved towards the seats in front of the chair placed in the middle of the courtroom. Chains were attached to the arms, and it looked rather uncomfortable. The courtroom itself was a dungeon; dark stonewalls that swallowed most of the light from the torches, most of the seats were empty, as it was still a good while until the trial would start. They rose in levels on either side of the chair in the middle of the room, but the section in front of it was even higher. The stern-looking witch had taken a seat there and was looking through some parchments presented to her by a wizard with straight, dark hair and face with skull-like appearance.

Harry set out to find his own seat, and found it near the bottom, on the right side of the chair. He sat down to wait.

 _I wonder if Fudge is going to be here,_ he said to Ginny, who was eating lunch with her family.

 _Me too._

The two of them discussed the prospects of the trial for nearly fifteen minutes before the courtroom was nearly full, and the doors were closing. Beside Harry the previously empty seat was now occupied by a light-haired man with streaks of premature grey, and several scars. He looked very nervous. To Harry he seemed oddly familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen him before. However, he had this odd sort of magic around him. It was a little similar to Professor McGonagall and Sirius, but not much. He was clearly not an Animagus, but he still had some sort of relationship to an animal. It was not linked to his own magic. It looked as though it was an infection. But with his lack of knowledge of magical diseases, Harry had no way in pointing out what sort of a infection it was.

When Harry turned he could spot the Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore further up and closer to the door. He was talking to Mad-Eye Moody, whose eye was spinning in its socket. There was the man who had sent him to stay at the horrible Dursleys, and each summer forced him to go back. There was the man who denied Harry's right to know why he was being headhunted by Voldemort, the man who wanted to Obliviate his darling Ginny. No, that was not going to happen as long as Harry had a say in it.

 _What is Dumbledore doing here? What's he got to do with Sirius' trial?_ Harry asked, outraged.

 _He's Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Harry,_ Ginny explained.

 _What? So he was in charge of those who condemned Sirius without a trial?_ Harry growled angrily, nearly snapping at a witch who politely excused herself on her way past him to her seat.

 _I'm afraid so._

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Harry was washed with doubt.

 _What if he isn't freed? If they don't believe him?_ Harry asked anxiously, fidgeting in his chair.

 _Harry, they said they would use the Veridicus Stilla; it's as good as infallible,_ Ginny tried to assure him.

 _As good as? Not completely?_ Harry asked desperately.

 _That would only be because of a mistake by the potions master, and I really doubt the Ministry would use it in the case. I'm se they test it before using it on prisoners._

Harry fell silent, slightly at ease with her explanation, before another wave of doubt hit him; _But what if he doesn't want me? What was I thinking, getting false hope? Why should he ever want me –_

 _Oh, perhaps because you are a brilliant person, Harry, and you're his godson. Not to mention that you ensured him a trial, and possibly his freedom. He's probably already put the pieces together. Him admitting the whole story to you one evening, and his trial scheduled in the Daily Prophet the next morning._

Harry was about to reply when a smaller door at the far end of the chamber opened, and Sirius was led inside with two auror escorts. He was still wearing the same clothes Harry had seen him wear in Magnolia Crescent. His lively, grey eyes glided across the room and stopped at Harry. A small smile played across his face before he spotted the man beside Harry, and the smile widened. The man next to Harry gave Sirius a small nod and a beam in return.

When Sirius sat in the chair, the chains coiled themselves around his arms, keeping him firmly in place. He didn't look phazed, though; he had probably expected it.

"Right," said the dark-haired man beside the woman from the elevator. "The trial of Sirius Black, August 3rd, 1993 for him having, in full sanity and knowledge, killed twelve muggles and one wizard on November 1st 1981, for being a Death Eater, and for spilling knowledge about Mr. and Mrs. Potter's whereabouts to You-Know-Who." The wizard looked at Sirius. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Sirius said, "you can check for the Dark Mark if you want to; it's not there."

The wizard exchanged a look with the stern-looking witch beside him, who nodded. "Thompson," he called to one of the Aurors, "lift his sleeves on both arms so we can see. Check for concealment charms."

A tall, thin auror with thick beard stepped over to Sirius and did what he was asked. Harry wasn't sure what they were looking for, and neither was Ginny, so they watched attentively, hoping for an explanation.

"No concealment charms, Mr. Crouch," Thompson said at last.

The dark-haired man, Mr. Crouch, nodded slowly. "Very well. The accused of this trial is asked to take the Veridicus Stilla. Mr. Black, do you accept?"

Sirius nodded. "I do."

A different wizard, wearing peach robes, stepped forward and fed a teaspoon of a steaming, purple potion to Sirius, who swallowed it and shuddered. His hands started trembling slightly, which Ginny assured Harry was a side effect of the potion. Occasionally, Sirius' body convulsed, and because of this, Harry was relieved to hear Mr. Crouch's next words.

"Let's make this quick, shall we?" He rustled with some parchment and began to read questions from a list. "Sirius Black, did you or did you not kill the twelve muggles November 1st 1981?"

"I-I did n-not." Sirius voice was shivering, as he was freezing cold.

"Who did?"

"Peter P-Pettigrew," Sirius managed with a trace of anger in his voice.

A murmur started to spread through the room, and Mr. Crouch frowned.

"Err… Peter Pettigrew is dead, Mr. Black. Witnesses saw you kill him."

Sirius snorted. "They only thought they saw me kill Pettigrew. He's an animagus, you see; a rat. He shouted at me, blaming me for betraying James and Lily, and then blew up the street before cutting off his finger, transformed into a rat and disappeared into the sewers."

The mutterings grew even louder, and a wizard from the audience even went so far as to shout "Rubbish!"

"The potion Mr. Black has taken has been fully tested, and is clear of any doubts, Mr. Rowle," the woman beside Mr. Crouch said dismissively. She then turned to Sirius again. "You say he blamed you for betraying Mr. and Mrs. Potter. You were their Secret Keeper, weren't you?"

"No," Sirius said, shivering even more fiercely. His teeth were starting to clatter. "Pettigrew was. We switched at the last m-minute; n-no-one knew. P-Peter was p-perceived as weak and c-cowardy. We n-never imagined h-him to be in allegiance with Voldemort," Sirius said. The room made a collective flinch, but Harry noticed that the scarred man beside him didn't even let a facial muscle twitch.

"So you're not a Death Eater, then?" Mr. Crouch asked, looking genuinely curious by now.

"No. N-N-Never. Nor will I ever i-in the future; Voldemort k-killed my b-best friend, didn't he? Almost killed my godson too, d-didn't he?" Sirius growled bitterly. His whole body was trembling, and his lips had turned to a pale blue colour.

"Where is Pettigrew now?"

"H-he's h-hiding with the W-Weasley f-f-family. They d-don't know it's h-him. I recognized P-Pettigrew on a photo f-from Eg-gypt," Sirius stuttered.

"I think we got the most important," Mr. Crouch said. "The antidote, please."

The wizard in peach robes hurried forward and gave Sirius a rather large dose of a bubbling, red potion, and only seconds after, he stopped shivering, and his lips returned to their normal colour.

"We will now make a verdict," Mr. Crouch looked around at his fellow Wizengamot members. "All of those in favour of release and compensation for Mr. Black?"

Harry's heart leaped with joy when he saw that nearly every Wizengamot member had their hand raised. The only exception was a short man with dark eyes and nearly bald head. He glared at Sirius with a hatred Harry thought impossible, even with the Dursleys.

"All those against?" Mr. Crouch asked. The man was alone in lifting his hand.

"Cleared of all charges! Mr. Black will be granted a good sum of money for compensation for the Wizengamot's ignorance and his time in Azkaban," Mr. Crouch said.

There was a lot of rustling as people stood. Harry only looked at Sirius, who was released from the chains. He looked ridiculously happy, and his eyes sought out Harry. Beaming, he beckoned him down to the fence separating the stands from the floor. Harry noticed the scarred man following, but he stopped far enough away from Harry and Sirius to show respect for their privacy.

"Am I right to think that you had a finger in this?" Sirius asked, a mischievous gleam to his eye.

Harry blushed. "Perhaps. I can't tell you how, though. Sorry."

"No matter!" Sirius grinned. "I want you to know that I'm extremely grateful for what you did. Perhaps we could meet under better circumstances than last time?"

"I'd like that," Harry said, wearing a silly grin on his face.

Sirius' eyes then moved to the man who had sat beside Harry during the trial. He smiled even wider, and the man bounded down, pulling Sirius into a fierce embrace.

"I'm sorry," Harry heard him mutter. "I'm so sorry I doubted you!"

" _You're_ sorry?" Sirius barked, "I'm the one who should be sorry for suspecting you!"

"Don't worry; it's okay. I understand," the stranger said dismissively.

"No, it's not okay. It shouldn't be okay! Just because you're a – "

The stranger clamped his hand over Sirius' mouth before he managed to finish, and then shot a worried look in Harry's direction. Resignation appeared in Sirius' eyes, and the man removed his hand.

"Harry, this is mine and your father's true friend Remus Lupin," Sirius said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir," Harry told Mr. Lupin sincerely. With a pang he realized where he had seen the man before; he had caught a vague glimpse of his younger self in one of Sirius' memories.

"Likewise, Harry. You look so much like your father. He was an amazing man, and from what I've heard about you, you don't seem to measure up too badly," Mr. Lupin said with a smile.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Do you have a place to stay, Sirius?"

"I'm not putting a foot inside my family home, if that's what you're asking," Sirius said fiercely.

Harry wisely stayed quiet and watched them interact.

"Then come home with me. You sure look like you need a good bath and some food," Mr. Lupin teased.

"I think I will take you up on that offer," Sirius said and looked at Harry. "Will you be alright, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "I guess I better be going," he said as he saw other people approaching to greet Sirius. "I'll be in touch, Sirius," he promised.

Sirius beamed at him. "Stay safe from dangerous escaped convicts and large dogs, Harry!" he said cheerfully.

Harry smiled and left, hearing Mr. Lupin's soft mutter as he climbed the stairs to the exit: "He knows about Padfoot?"


	4. Explanations

On the way back to The Leaky Cauldron, Harry leaped with joy every other step. He might not have a new place to live, but he had a godfather, and he had his parents' best friend. As he wandered along the streets he pondered at how the future would be like. With Sirius and with Ginny.

He entered the pub, so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the red bullet before he was knocked back several steps with a heavy "oomph!"

Ginny beamed up at him and hugged him as hard as she possibly could. "Hi, Harry!"

"Ginny? What're you doing here? You weren't supposed to return until tomorrow!" he exclaimed, but nevertheless returned the hug happily.

"Bill convinced mum and dad to go home one day early. He's here too. He thought it was best to come and help convince mum and dad," Ginny took his hand and lead him over to the group of redheaded Weasleys.

Ron grinned at him when he spotted Harry, and greeted him with a manly hit on his back. "Hey, mate! How'd it go? With Black and all? Ginny told me."

Harry's smile widened even more. "He's cleared! And you were right, Ginny; he did suspect I had a finger into it."

Ginny smiled with self-satisfaction and adjusted her grip on Harry's hand a little as Mrs. Weasley hurried over and hugged him enthusiastically, not even noticing his closeness to Ginny.

"It's so nice to see you, Harry! How has your summer been?"

"Good, thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Harry told her sincerely. It truly had been a good summer, at least after he had left the Dursleys.

"We are only stopping by to get supplies for school in Diagon Alley, and then we are getting home. Why don't you gather your things and come along? It'd be far better to stay with us at the Burrow than here alone, wouldn't it?" Mrs. Weasley said.

"I don't want to intrude –" Harry began, but Mrs. Weasley waved him off.

"No, not at all! Do you have your things for school, or will you go shopping with us?" she asked.

"I got my things yesterday," Harry ensured her. He had been so nervous the previous day that he had gone shopping for school supplies, if only to get his mind on something else than Sirius' trial.

"Good, then. We shouldn't take too long."

 _Should we tell them tonight?_ Harry asked Ginny as Mrs. Weasley hurried over to stop Fred and George from once again teasing Percy about his Head Boy badge, which was firmly fastened to his chest and gleaming brilliantly.

 _Yeah, I think that would be best_ , Ginny said.

Bill had now caught sight of him, and manoeuvred between his siblings towards him and Ginny. He was tall, handsome and thin like his father, with long hair gathered in a ponytail and an earring with a fang dangling from his left ear. His clothes reminded Harry of what people would wear at a rock concert, especially with the dragon-hide boots(although Harry doubted they wore dragon-hide boots at muggle rock concerts).

"Harry," he said and held out his hand. " I'm Bill. Nice to meet you at last. I've heard a lot about you."

"Likewise," Harry said and shook his hand politely.

Bill eyed Harry and Ginny's joined hands for a moment. "I believe we have a lot to talk about."

Harry nodded. "Ginny and I thought we should tell the others tonight."

Bill nodded. "That might be good idea. I managed to find one book that said at least a little of what is known about soulbonds; I've got it in my luggage, so I'll hand it to you when we get home, alright?"

Harry and Ginny nodded. "Thanks, Bill," Ginny said and gave him a hug.

"Your welcome. Hey, as long as you're happy," he said with a smile.

"I am – I mean, _we_ are," Ginny replied, beaming at him.

Bill nodded again and walked over to Mr. Weasley, who was counting money from a bag, presumably the rest of the prize that had sent them all on holiday to Egypt as they were filing into the small courtyard. Ginny tugged Harry along, claiming he could pack afterwards. Once inside the group separated into two; Mrs. Weasley, Percy and the twins, and Harry, Ginny, Ron and Bill. Mr. Weasley headed off to Merlin knew where to do errands he was reluctant to talk about, although Mrs. Weasley sent him an encouraging smile.

"Have you heard anything from Hermione, Harry?" Ron asked. "She's supposed to return from France in a week or so. Perhaps she could come over?"

"I got a present from her for my Birthday; Ginny told you Hedwig had disappeared for several days, didn't she?" Harry questioned him.

Ron nodded. "At least it explains why there were no letters from her in weeks," he said, falling at ease with the explanation.

Their hours in Diagon Alley put a strain on both Harry and Ginny's selfcontrol to stop themselves from snogging each other senseless. The desire was stronger now that they were nearer each other, but they wanted to see if Bill knew more about it, and that had to wait until the evening, and a more private place. Besides, it was better to let the other Weasleys in on it too. So, for the time being, the were content with holding hands.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

After Mrs. Weasley's large family dinner that evening Harry managed to tell the Weasleys about Pettigrew, and that the Aurors were to come and get him. Unfortunately, just as the Aurors arrived, Pettigrew had suddenly disappeared. It turned out that he had been eavesdropping in his rat form right outside the kitchen while Ron had thought that he was in his room. It was chaotic for a while, but then the Aurors left to start the search for the rat, since he wasn't on the property anymore.

As the Weasley family congregated in the living room, Harry and Ginny decided they had to speak, when everyone were gathered in the same room.

"Harry and I have something we'd like to say to the whole family," Ginny began. It earned her some rather confused looks from her parents, a knowing smile from Ron, and the twins threw mischievous, though suspicious glances between her and Harry.

"What's it, Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley asked concernedly.

"It's about something that happened in the Chamber. At the point, right after I woke up, and Harry gave me a hug and comforted me, something happened between us. We thought that a bond had formed, something to do with him saving my life or something. We discovered within minutes some rather astonishing effects; I could feel what he thought, felt, and what he sensed around him, and he could do the same to me. Harry accidentally overheard Lockhart's thoughts; he'd been hit by his own backfiring memory charm, so he was really confused. It was different from him hearing mine, though; it was his thoughts, only. At about the same time, I realized I felt Ron's concern for me, and then I felt Lockheart's unconcerned, but confused feelings, so we asked Ron if he had heard mum and dad talk about anything similar to it, but he hadn't. He said that Bill had told him about soulbonds, and that the symptoms we were showing were somewhat similar to what Bill had told him."

Ginny looked at Ron, who nodded in confirmation. "I didn't know much, though," he said, "but I reckoned it was a soulbond, based on what they told me, and what I've seen of them later on. They act so naturally together, mum," he looked at Mrs. Weasley's frowning expression.

"Right, well. So Harry and I decided to tell Bill while in Egypt, hoping that he could help, since our search at the Hogwarts library came up with nearly naught," Ginny told her family. She looked at Bill, hinting for him to take over.

"I'll admit that I didn't know much about soulbonds, but while most people believe them to be myths, I knew that they were real. Ginny told me of the effects; Harry having increased magical strength, ability to feel magic and to hear thoughts – although, if what Ginny told me is true, he can control that particular ability. And she told me of her own, and how their new link felt like. I suggested we might do a spell to test it, to see if it really is a soulbond, and we will. I only think there is something that the rest of you should be aware of first.

"Point one; a soulbond contains two stages. The first stage, where Harry and Ginny are right now, is unstable and unhealthy in a prolonged period of time. They show only a fraction of the potential of their complete bond. Point two; a soulbond, on any level, no matter age, cannot be broken. If it is attempted, the bonded will die with a hundred percent certainty," Bill said gravely, watching his mother's chin wobble as tears formed in her eyes. "Please, mum; soulbonds are not a bad thing; if you ask Harry and Ginny, they are probably very happy with it."

Harry and Ginny nodded vigorously. "We can't imagine life without it," Harry said.

"Without Harry there to constantly back me up, I think I'd be completely lost, or in despair. That's how it feels now, anyway," Ginny added.

"But… but what if someone will try to break the bond? What if You-Know-Who learns of it?" she sobbed. Mr. Weasley reached around her with his right arm to comfort her.

"I'd like to see how he'd find it out. The detection spell is extremely complicate, and not well known at all. Besides, there are no records of soulbonds within the Ministry, or anywhere else, because it is considered a myth, and has only happened a few times in known history. That's why it's so hard to find literature of it too. It is quite illegal, too. Treated similiarly to murder by the Ancient Laws. Harry is basically allowed to do anything he needs to in order to protect her without getting in trouble for it," Bill explained. He grabbed his glass of pumpkin juice, downed it in one mouthful and refilled it.

"What about Ginny?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"I'm not sure. Only the protector is stated in those Laws, which I personally think is a little unfair, because she depend on him as much as he depend on her," Bill explained vehemently, letting his fingers play with the edge of the glass.

"How come the bond formed in first place?" Fred asked, sounding dead serious for once.

"We aren't sure, but it's known that it only happens to people who are already meant to be together. It's a small comfort to know that Harry and Ginny are destined for each other, isn't it? They haven't been forced into something like an arranged marriage, mind you; the bond is based on love and intimacy.

"What do you mean, intimacy?" Mrs. Weasley whimpered, watching her eldest son with uncovered worry in her eyes. "Bill!"

Bill looked very uncomfortable. "Well…"

"If this bond is so unstable on the stage that Harry and Ginny is at now, how do they move on?" Mr. Weasley interrupted, sounding apprehensive, as if he expected a bad answer.

"It's a kiss, dad," Ginny braved. "We move on to a complete bond once we kiss. It's already pulling at us – mum, listen! That is not a bad thing! I love Harry, and besides, staying at this stage is going to be bad for both of us," she said in an indignant tone. Her eyes were glowing as she met her mother's gaze.

"Like I said, the bond is kept strong with love and affection," Bill said. "They will need to kiss occasionally to keep it up to par. But with their bond in full strength, I am very certain that not even You-Know-Who can stand a chance."

"Oh! What am I so upset for?" Mrs. Weasley muttered distressedly to herself, trying to calm down. "It's just that you are thirteen and twelve, and it is too early to – but this isn't a normal situation is it? As long as we agree on some rules," she said at last. Arthur leaned over and gave her a hug.

"It is for the best, I agree," he said. "It doesn't mean that we have to like it. It is better than losing them, in any case."

"Bill, that is the only kind of intimacy needed, right?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she dried the tears off her face.

"Hugs and embraces, perhaps, but it should be enough for several years yet," Bill assured her.

Mrs. Weasley sagged in relief.

"Harry?" Percy asked tentatively from beside Mr. Weasley.

"Yeah?"

"You don't listen to our thoughts all the time, do you?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm usually able to control it, but if I do slip up, your secrets are safe with me. Unless it's something really bad. That reminds me; in Professor McGonagall's office after Ginny, Ron and I left the Chamber, she picked up some odd feelings from the Headmaster and asked me to check. Afterwards I'm glad I did, because his thoughts were unsettling. He has been plotting to keep Ginny away from me, and was even more intent on doing that after the Chamber."

"Why?" Ron asked, sounding confused. "Why haven't you told me this before?"

"Because it's a very sensitive information, Ron. We couldn't risk anyone overhearing it," Harry said. "I picked up two prophecies while listening to him. Both were done by the same woman, whose name I didn't get." He told them the content of the prophecies, and were met with generally horrified reactions across the table. "Dumbledore seems to think that he himself is best served as my Right Hand, whereas this bond clearly indicates that Ginny is, and that the bond might possibly be the power Voldemort doesn't know." Harry ignored the Weasleys' collective jump. "So Dubledore decided then and there, while I heard, unbeknownst to him, his plan to obliviate Ginny."

"He didn't!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked, standing from her chair.

Angry shouts from the twins and Ron deafened Percy's growls, while Mr. Weasley said nothing. Bill simply looked murderous.

"That's sort of why he wants to keep Harry at the Dursleys too; he'd be unable to form alliances with others, and I wouldn't visit him there," Ginny added. "Plus, wouldn't it be nice if good, old grandpa Dumbledore rescued you from your horrible relatives into the magnificent world of magic? It would surely earn Harry's trust, wouldn't it?" She smiled darkly, and Harry clutched her hand comfortingly under the table.

"What more has he done?" Mr. Weasley asked. His voice was low, but dangerous-sounding.

"Ginny and I suspect he's been putting mind-altering potions into my drink for some time. We only proved it once, after I got more sensitive to magic. He realized we had caught him, so he stopped. Also, he is Chief Warlock, Ginny told me," Harry said. "He consciously did nothing in 1981 to give Sirius a trial, nor anytime later until I blackmailed Fudge when he met me at The Leaky Cauldron."

Ron's jaw dropped as he stared at Harry, and Percy looked mutious.

"You blackmailed the Minister, Harry?" he exclaimed aghast. His hand was holding the fork so hard his knuckles had turned white.

"I was suspicious! He was at The Leaky Cauldron when I arrived; he had been waiting for me to arrive, and then he claimed to be concerned. When I asked about being punished for accidentally blowing up Aunt Marge, he just dismissed it and said that one doesn't get in trouble for blowing up one's aunt, but I'd bet anything that if Ron did it, the Ministry wouldn't hesitate to take him." Harry stared at Percy. "So I checked. I didn't trust him; still don't. What I found out was that he has been accepting large sums of money from people who wanted to make sure things went along as they wanted to within the Ministry, and that Fudge made sure to keep certain things out of the papers. That in fact most of the Minstry is corrupt, save for a few honourable people, like Mr. Weasley."

Mr. Weasley straightened unconsciously, and Mrs. Weasley beamed with pride over her husband. Percy scowled at Harry.

"The Ministry isn't corrupt, Harry," he insisted.

"I'm sorry, Percy. Fudge witnesses more than one should know, and he also knows how to pretend he doesn't see. The last drop, which finally had him cooperating for me was when I threatened to tell that he'd used the Imperius Curse. I believe that's illegal, right?"

"Yeah, that's a lifetime in Azkaban only for using it," Bill said, looking intrigued. "Did he really use it?"

"He did. He wanted to ensure an important and rather large money transaction went smoothly, and imperiused the intermediary," Harry said. "I threatened to tell the press unless he gave Sirius a trial with a truth serum and announced it the next morning."

Mr. Weasley leaned against the back of his chair, looking thoughtful. Percy looked as though he had been given a blow to his stomach, and faintly ill, while the twins whispered indignantly to each other, Ron watched his father with a frown of concern, and Bill had stood and stared distantly out the window. Mrs. Weasley got up and started to clean the table.

Ginny leaned over and hugged Harry comfortingly. _I think it was a good decision to tell them. They'll know what we should do._ She pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek. While not fulfilling, it helped a tiny bit. He smiled softly at her.

 _What should I do without you?_

She gave him a brilliant smile. _Lost Merlin knows where, I expect._

Harry held back a snort.

 _Hey! You asked; I answered,_ she said matter-of-factly.

"I think it is best that we keep this information between those who are here. Though we might want to tell Charlie, what do you say, Harry, Ginny?" Mr. Weasley glanced at them.

"Yeah, I think that's best."

"And Hermione," Ron added. Harry nodded in agreement.

"She already knows about the bond. She only doesn't know about me reading Dumbledore's mind and blackmailing Fudge," Harry said.

"Right, and we might want to keep the blackmail material; it could come into handy in the future," Mr. Weasley said with an unexpected streak of deviousness.

"Bill?" Ginny began, attracting her oldest brother's attention. "Do you know anything about Horcruxes?"

Bill stared at her with utter shock, and not just a little bit of fear. "Where have you heard that word, Ginny?" he demanded harshly, nearly standing as he growled at her.

"No need to jump my throat!" she retorted hotly. " Harry picked it up in Dumbledore's mind. Dumbledore thought the diary was one, and that You-Know-Who might have made several of them."

Bill sank back ino his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. "Horcruxes are the most evil things I've ever heard of. They're supposed to be containers of a part of someone's soul. If You-Know-Who made one or more, he would have to split his soul at least once. That's how he survived that halloween night, Harry. With a Horcrux, his soul cannot leave the Earth, and he will be able to work out a way to get his body back. That's what we should fear now."

"Why are they so bad?" Ron wondered.

"Well, in case you didn't notice, one of them managed to possess your sister," Bill shot him a stern look, causing Ron's ears to turn pink. "Besides, one has to commit murder in order to make one. Their defences are meant to break a person psychologically, and then the soul fracture can take advantaged of a weak mind."

"How do one find those Horcruxes, Bill?" Harry asked. Ginny was sitting stiffly beside him and clutching his hand with both of hers.

"They are hid inside objects, like Tom's old diary from his school days."

"So it could basically be anything? We have to search every little item in Britain?" Harry asked desperately.

"Would you hide a part of your soul in a rusty old teapot, Harry?" Bill challenged. "No, look at the diary. I'd bet anything he chose objects of importance. Which means that we will have to dive into his past."

"How do you destroy it?" Fred inquired. "Harry stabbed the diary with a basilisk fang; perhaps we should get some more from the chamber?"

"That is per today the easiest way, since the basilisk already is dead," Bill said. "To destroy a Horcrux you will need something that will damage it beyond physical and magical repair. Since the only cure to basilisk venom is phoenix tears, which is rare in itself, basilisk venom destroys it."

"And then Voldemort becomes mortal again, right?" Harry asked, ignoring the flinch of the Weasleys.

"That's right, Harry." Bill nodded in confirmation.

"It's going to be a lot of work," Mr. Weasley said, "But if it can finish You-Know-Who once and for all, I am going to do my best to help."

Mrs. Weasley had paused by his side during their discussion about Horcruxes, listening with a fearful expression. "How do you know how to find them then? And how many he made? Is there a limit of these things? How many times can a soul split before you become insane, or die?" she asked, her gaze locked at Bill.

"I don't really know. What intrigues me most is how Tom at the age of sixteen was able to create a Horcrux. Tom Riddle in the memory was in sixth year, wasn't he, Harry?" Bill's eyes met Harry's, who nodded. "So we will have to dig a little into his history."

"He claimed he was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, and he said that his father was a muggle with the same name as his," Harry said, remembering what the memory of Tom Riddle had said in the Chamber.

"That's a starting point. Mum, dad, do you know who taught at Hogwarts fifty years ago? Is there anyone that could tell us a little about him from that time?"

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchanged a look. "I know that Dumbledore began teaching Transfigurations in the late thirties or early fourties, but Armando Dippet was headmaster until the mid fifties. Kettleburn was Care of Magical Creatures professor while we went there, but I think I heard somewhere that he began the job soon after he finished his own education at Hogwarts, which would be around nineteen-sixty, I think," Mrs. Weasley said.

"We are talking about nineteen-fifty-two, mum," Ginny said.

"Oh, right. Well, I know of one. You remember Professor Slughorn, dear?" she looked at Mr. Weasley, who nodded with a faint frown.

"Yes, of course. Great at his subject – he taught potions, and far better Head of House for Slytherin than Snape appears to be. Only, he had favourites; he liked to collect students that he thought would do great in the future. It'd give him many great contacts and benefits. I think he thought he brought them influence, he liked that," Mr. Weasley said, his face contorted as though he'd eaten a slice of a lemon.

"Your father doesn't like Slughorn very much, because he wasn't asked to join those clubs, while Lucius Malfoy was," Mrs. Weasley said knowingly.

"But he did have favourites, Molly!" Mr. Weasley complained.

"I know that, dear."

"When did Slughorn start to teach, do you know?" Bill inquired impatiently.

"Oh, he'd been at the school for ages," Mrs. Weasley said. "I think the thirties at least, even the twenties."

"Then he's an option. He was Head of Slytherin, even. Do you know if he's still alive?" Bill asked, sounding more and more eager.

"He retired after the war. He might be alive, but I wouldn't know," Mrs. Weasley admitted. "It wouldn't hurt to send an owl."

Bill nodded. "I'll do it right away." He stood and started rummaging through one of the shelves for quill, ink and parchment.

"Now, is there anything anything else we need to know, or could we move into the living room?" Mrs. Weasley asked, having readied tea.

"No. I'll give Harry and Ginny the book about soulbonds. They might let you read it afterwards, though," Bill said and waved his hand dismissively. "There are more surprises in store, mind you, when the bond is complete."

Mrs. Weasley only nodded and carried a tray of cups and a teapot into the living room.

 _A/N: Thanks to those who notified me of my stupid error of posting Chapter one again. Terribly sorry. Hope this time goes better._


	5. South Wilton Palace

The Weasleys settled into the living room in their various ways. Percy buried his nose in a book; _Aiming for the stars: the Head Student's manual_ ; Fred and George were as usual muttering about something mysterious in a corner, and Harry joined Ron for a game of chess, with Ginny hovering over his shoulder, giving him useful advice.

"With her, you might even have a chance, Harry," Ron said, unintentionally crude.

Harry agreed with him, and as it turned out, the two of them lasted longer than he would have alone, and managed to check Ron, even if Ron got the Check Mate. As Harry settled down in one of the arm chairs, Bill returned from upstairs with a rather small book, which was more of a booklet, and handed it to Harry.

It said _Soulbonds: the facts behind the myth_. Ginny settled down on the arm of his chair while he began to read, and listened while watching the twins. Curious, she leaned closer and snatched a piece of parchment that lay on the table beside them.

George, who was closest, reached out to take it back, but she kept it away from him and read as an expression of glee appeared in her face.

"What's this, George? Something that you were thinking on doing?" she teased and threw a look in the direction of Mrs. Weasley, who was watching Ron play chess with Mr. Weasley.

"None of your business, little sister," he retorted and gave her a push to distract her enough to retrieve the note. However, the push was slightly harder than necessary, and Ginny was pushed backwards and landed in Harry's lap.

He looked at her, rather surprised, but she beamed at him, not missing a beat.

"Hi! Do you mind if I sit here?"

Fred and George reacted with a roar of laughter, and Harry's cheeks grew faintly red, but he smiled.

"Sure. Make yourself comfortable," he retorted cheekily.

Ginny made a point in shifting around so she could rest her head against his chest. She curled up in a nearly fetal position and buried her nose against his throat. Harry wrapped an arm around her and held the book with his free hand. For nearly twenty minutes she listened to his voice in her mind, before she fell asleep.

"Don't think we haven't noticed Ginny's lack of sleep, Harry," Mr. Weasley said softly when an hour had passed, and Ginny had not moved. He moved over to sit in the chair beside Harry and the sleeping Ginny.

Harry looked at him, and then at Ginny. "I know. Nightmares," he said with a soft sigh.

"Ginny doesn't want to talk to us about them. Has she said anything to you?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"I feel them every night. She doesn't have to. I understand her completely." Harry's grave look met Mr. Weasley's, whose brows rose a little until he caught on and nodded.

"Your bond." He fell into silence for several minutes until Harry closed the book, having finished it, and put it aside. "Did it say anything useful?"

"Yeah," Harry said in a low voice. "It said that we'll have to and want to touch more often, and a long time without physical contact is potentially harmful. And a complete bond is considered a marriage. Ginny and I will legally be adults." He watched Mr. Weasley apprehensively. For all he knew, Mr. Weasley could react either way; anger at him for taking away his daughter, or sadness. He did not expect the look of relief crossing his face.

"That's… unexpected. But she'd be free of the Trace, then, I suppose." Mr. Weasley glanced at him. "Don't take it wrong; I am sad that she would be married off so soon, and that I'd lose her, but at least I'd know she's with someone who can keep her safe, care for her and one that she loves. With Dumbledore wanting to obliviate her, it's a good thing she'd be able to defend herself. I think it's better even for you, Harry." He paused and thought for a long time before Harry urged him on.

"How do you mean?"

"When you get majority, you will be able to reach your Family Vault, Harry, and I'm sure, with the wealth that the Potters had, they are very likely to have a home that is less known of. You should try to visit Gringotts soon after the bond is complete. It's not, is it?" Mr. Weasley watched him closely.

"Err… no. The book says people around will definitely notice when it is completed. It doesn't say how, though."

"I expect it doesn't," Mr. Weasley said with a shrug. "I think we better tell Molly."

Harry nodded, though hesitantly. "You two can borrow the book. I'm done with it, and Ginny won't need it right now anyway," he said and gently caressed her cheek; he just couldn't help himself. He looked at Mr. Weasley, who looked like – well, exactly as if he had lost his daughter. "She loves you and Mrs, Weasley a lot, sir. I can tell. She'll always be your daughter, no matter what." Harry's feeble attemt to comfort Mr. Weasley brought a smile on the man's face.

"Thank you, Harry." His eyes found Ginny's sleeping form in Harry's arms. "She changed so much after the chamber." He sighed and gently ran a hand over Ginny's hair.

"Yes. Voldemort does that to people. He forces you to grow up in order to deal with everything he pushes on you. Ginny's last year has been harder than most could imagine. She's very strong. Most people wouldn't have managed to fight him for so long. That's the reason she's the mind-strong in our bond, I reckon." Their eyes met, and Mr. Weasley suddenly looked much older than only a few minutes before.

"Thank you for telling me, Harry. Really." He stood and moved back to Mrs. Weasley, taking the book from the wobbly coffee table, where Harry had left it. Harry watched the woman with a bit of wariness when he realized that their low conversation was about what Harry had discovered.

Like he had anticipated, Mrs. Weasley looked heart-broken by the news, and Mr. Weasley brought her out to the kitchen for a more private conversation. Harry couldn't help but feel guilty. He hated being the cause of other people's pain, and he certainly didn't want to take Ginny away from her parents. He swallowed thickly and looked down at Ginny again. She shifted a little, only to press her body even firmer to his.

She was rather petite, even for her age. Harry, who wasn't exactly tall, was still nearly a head taller than her. A few of her fingers had somehow managed to find their way through a gap between the buttons of his buttondown shirt, and touched his stomach. Oddly, he wasn't bothered with it at all.

"Harry?"

Harry looked up to see Ron watching him. "Hm?"

"You alright, mate?" He crossed the living room and took the chair his father had left only minutes before.

"Yeah, just thinking."

"Listen; I know that you care about Ginny. I'm not so thick that I don't see it," Ron admitted. "I just wanted to say that if Dumbledore wants to obliviate her, there's no-one except for dad that I trust more than you to look after her."

Harry gave his friend a small smile. "Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that. Just don't let her hear you say that she needs to be looked after. I expect she wouldn't be very happy about it."

Ron offered him a goofy grin. "Yeah, I know. She knows her hexes well. And Harry? About the kissing thing; I really don't want to see it all the time."

Harry burst into laughter. "Alright, not all the time. That's a reasonable deal, I suppose."

"So, who do you think will take the Defence Against the Dark Arts job after Lockhart? I do hope he's at least a little bit better than that big-headed baboon."

"He didn't put the standards high, so whoever it is, only has to tell us a few things useful related to the subject, and they would already be a far cry better than Lockhart. I don't even feel sorry for him for the memory thing," Harry said. "Especially since he tried to attack us first.

"You said it, Harry," Ron nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later Mr. and Mrs. Weasley re-entered the room. Mrs. Weasley came over to Harry and Ron and smiled at Harry, although sorrow was evitent in her red and puffy eyes. She leaned over and hugged him, careful so not to jostle Ginny.

"Take care of her when I can't, will you, Harry?"

"I promise, Mrs. Weasley."

She gave him a fond smile. "It's nearing bedtime. Can you carry her upstairs? Perhaps Ron could help?"

"I think I can manage. Wood's been tormenting us about physical strength last year; he says it'll make us play better. 'Sides, she's in deep sleep now; she won't wake for a Mandrake," Harry said, and smiled as Ron chuckled. He snuck an arm around her ribs, and the other beneath her thighs and lifted her up.

Ron lead the way up to Ginny's room and opened the door. Harry manoeuvred Ginny inside without bumping her into something. Once she was placed on the bed, her shoes were removed, and the covers spread over her. Harry watched her quietly for a moment.

"You do know you have a really pretty sister, Ron. There are going to be loads of boys chasing after her in a few years," Harry said with a grin towards his best mate.

Ron laughed. "Good to know that she's taken by someone trustworthy, then!"

Harry was woken by Ginny's nightmare only a few hours after having fallen asleep. He had seen images of Tom Riddle laughing menacingly while the basilisk devoured Harry. Having seen it from a third person point of view would have felt strange, but by now he was so used to Ginny's nightmares that it didn't bother him anymore. What bothered him was the effect it had on her.

The next moment there was a loud cry that sounded through the whole house. He knew immediately, and was out of the bed as Ron blinked awake.

"'Arry? Wuzz'goin'on?" he muttered sleepily, gazing at him with bleary eyes.

"Ginny's having a nightmare. It's really bad this time," he said and headed out the door without pausing.

With Ron not far behind, he nearly leaped down the four flights of stairs to Ginny's room. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were already there, and Harry suspected that Ginny had managed to wake them before he had been roused from sleep. They were doing their best to comfort her, and Mrs. Weasley looked highly distressed when her words of comfort had little effect. Percy stood by the door, watching his sister worriedly, and the twins were hovering beside one of the pink walls littered with Quidditch posters. Bill sat by Ginny's feet, but he was looking at Harry with a thoughtful expression.

Determinedly, Harry made his way between all the redheads cramped together in the small room and, rather than just sitting by and hold her hand, he slid down on the bed beside her and pulled her into an embrace.

"It's alright now, Gin. I'm here. I'm still alive. You know I am. You can feel it," he muttered softly into her ear. He took her hand and placed it at his chest. "You can feel it, Ginny. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. The basilisk's dead. It can't hurt anyone anymore."

A heart-breaking sob escaped her lips, and Harry felt her sucking up his words and his voice, even in her sleep. Unconsciously, she shifted closer to him and pushed at him until he rolled over on his back. Her head came to rest on his chest, right above his heart. He heard it thumping inside Ginny's mind. She then let out a sigh of content as the nightmare vanished completely, and she fell back into a peaceful sleep.

A sniffle brought Harry out of his own world with Ginny. He turned his head and caught sight of Mrs. Weasley with tears on her face, and the rest of the Weasleys with confused expressions. Except for Bill. He smiled knowingly.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, looking at Mrs. Weasley's distressed face. "I only wanted her nightmare to go away. I'll get out now." He began to sit up, but Mrs. Weasley shook her head and pushed him back down.

"Don't wake her," she whispered, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "I just want you to know how horrible it is to see your child struggle, and not being able to do anything to help."

"I'm sorry – " Harry began again.

"Don't be," Mr. Weasley said. "At least someone can help her. Just stay there tonight; she haven't had a night of decent sleep in Merlin knows how long."

"Since the bonding, I expect," Bill said, startling them all. He looked from his father to Harry. "And neither have you. Am I right, Harry?"

Harry nodded faintly, but didn't figure out anything sensible to say in return.

"It's the comfort of physical closeness," Bill explained for the rest of them. "Ginny demonstrated it right now, without even knowing it. She slept soundly in the living room while Harry held her, didn't she?"

There were nods of agreement. Percy looked like he was about to argue, but a look from Mrs. Weasley made him think better of it.

"If that is the case, I agree with Arthur. It'd be best if you stayed with Ginny tonight. We will set the rules tomorrow, alright, Harry?"

Harry nodded again. "Thanks."

Mrs. Weasley had stood when Harry felt Ginny stir. He looked down and found a pair of beautiful, brown eyes staring at him with disbelief.

"Harry?" she whispered. "Are you here, or am I still dreaming?"

Her voice had Mrs. Weasley freeze for a moment and return to the bedside. "Ginny, my darling baby! Are you alright?"

Ginny only hugged Harry closer and let out in a choked whisper: "I thought you had died. It was so horrible – like I could never be happy again. There was nothing in the world worth to live for," She hiccuped, tears streaming down her face, "I-I just wanted to end it all!"

"I'm not letting Voldemort get me. There was an option, you know, in the prophecy. I'll just kill him. He's more than deserved, with what he did to you," Harry muttered softly as he pressed his forehead against hers.

Her eyes sparkled in the dim light. He felt her relief, and her constant reassuring herself that he was alive. Her voice sounded like a mantra in her head;

 _He's alive. He's alive. He's ok. He's here._

Harry distantly noticed the Weasley family watching them closely, and even with a small sense of awe. Ginny didn't seem to have noticed them yet. Instead, she leaned a little closer until her lips met his, driven by the instinct that had built up, and now, with her defences low, were able to overtake her.

Upon the contact, Harry found himself unable to resist. He kissed her back, gently, lovingly, as the hair on his arms rose in response to the tingling pleasure that spread from everywhere he touched Ginny. It felt so good, he never wanted to end it.

As such, he was oblivious to the magic that he accidentally released, which created a sphere of bright, golden light around them. The curtains fluttered while the wind was non-existent, and the lights in the ceiling turned on and off. On the nightstand the water in Ginny's glass started to swirl around and around until it looked like a miniature malstroem, and the glass was wobbling dangerously. Then the whole house started to shake. They could hear glasses and plates smash into the floor downstairs.

Fred held on to he windowsill to keep standing, and George clutched to Fred. Ron landed on his bum, and then nearly got the lamp on Ginny's lightstand in his head. The door swung open, hitting Percy's back so he fell face-first on the floor.

Bill gasped and stumbled away, shielding his eyes brom the brightness of the sphere surrounding Harry and Ginny. "I didn't think we'd actually witness it!" he exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Percy wondered, having shielded his eyes completely, while struggling to get up. "What are they doing?"

"They're completing the bond, you git!" Ron bellowed. "Ouch!" he shouted as Bill accidentally stepped on his foot.

"Ickle Gin-Gin's getting married!" Fred joked, earning a glare from Mrs. Weasley, and shocked stares from the others. But neither managed to comment on it before Bill called out.

"The light is fading!"

Indeed it was. The shere grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely, and, to everyone's relief, so did the vibrations.

On he bed, oblivious to the chaos around them, Harry and Ginny reluctantly parted, ending the pleasant tingling that the kiss had given them, and gazed into each other's eyes with amazement.

"Wow," Ginny muttered.

"You could say that again," Harry grinned.

"Wow?" she teased.

He chuckled and hugged her. Then he turned, as the noise in the room caught up with him. "What's going on?" He asked in bewilderment, since half of the Weasley family sat on the floor, one more shocked than the other.

"You completed the bond," Bill said matter-of-factly. "And we learned exactly why Harry's the one to kill You-Know-Who."

Harry's eyes widened. "What d'you mean?"

"I think we let that wait until morning, Bill," Mr. Weasley said. "It's late, and we would all like some more hours of sleep. Plus, we have some things to clear up in the morning."

Ron readily agreed, and as such, one by one of the Weasleys left the room. Mrs. Weasley gave Harry and Ginny a faint smile before she tried to close the door. Having been shaken half loose by Harry's magical outburst, it wouldn't close, so she left it slightly ajar. It was left hanging from only one hinge.

Feeling Ginny curl up against him again, he decided to think about the bond later, and fell into the most peaceful sleep he'd had in several months.

The next time Harry woke, the sun stood high on the sky, and he heard Ron and the twin's voices from the orchard that Ginny's window gave a view over. Feeling Ginny shift beside him, he turned his head and was met with the most beautiful smile the world had created. It made his stomach fill with butterflies of happiness.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded. "You make a very good pillow."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. Feeling hunger rumbling through his stomach, he sat up and glanced at the clock on Ginny's nightstand. At the same time he took in sight of the glass that had fallen on the floor and shattered.

"It's nearly noon. Can't believe we've slept that long."

"We have been sleep deprived, Harry," Ginny reminded him. She slipped out of bed and changed out of her pyjamas as if it was the most natural thing to do so while he was there, not even feeling a little sting of bashfulness in being nearly naked around Harry.

Harry found that he didn't really mind. He climbed out after her and headed up to Ron's room to change, since that was where his clothes still were.

Shortly after both of them walked into the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was drawing some garden sketches that looked suspiciously like a vegetable patch, and Bill was sitting by the table, keeping her company. He smiled at Harry and Ginny when they entered.

"Good morning, you two! Sleep well?"

"Very," Ginny said as she took a chair across of him. Harry sat down beside her.

"Good! Merlin knows you both needed it," Mrs. Weasley said and smiled kindly at Harry. "We didn't want to wake you. What would you like to eat?"

"Could we have some scrambled eggs and toast, please?" Ginny answered for both of them. Mrs. Weasley was about to ask Harry too, before she caught on to Ginny's reply and turned to prepare food for them.

"Bill will take Harry to Gringotts today so he can check out his Family Vault now that he's gained his majority," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I want to come too," Ginny said.

Harry smiled and nodded, although Mrs. Weasley hesitated for a moment before she agreed.

"I suppose that's only right, with what the bond makes you," she muttered, sounding a little miffed.

"What?" Ginny spun on her chair to look at Harry. "What's she talking about, Harry?"

"I read the book Bill brought while you slept, if you recall. It said that the bond will officially make us married," Harry explained.

She gaped at him, and Harry grew a little concerned. "Is it really that bad?" he asked, hurt.

She kicked herself mentally when she heard his hurt tone. "Oh no, that's not what I meant," she reached over and pulled him into a hug. "I was just surprised, is all. And, to be frank, we are only thirteen and almost twelve. But if there's anyone I should marry, it's you, Harry, and let's face it; we probably would have eventually, wouldn't we? When we grew up, I mean?"

Harry nodded in agreement; he definitely wanted no-one else than Ginny for his wife, if he should have one. And since he couldn't imagine his life without her, it might as well be alright to be married already, he reckoned.

He realized Bill was watching him with an amused expression and was grateful that Mrs. Weasley placed a plate of food in front of him.

Ron and the twins came waltzing in through the door just as Harry and Ginny prepared to leave with Bill, and Mrs. Weasley got stuck preparing lunch for them.

"Good luck at Gringotts, Harry," Ron said.

"Hope you find lots of gold – "

" – and a place to hide Ginny from Dumbledore!" Fred and George added.

Ginny stuck her tongue at them before Harry pulled her along into the floo, never even considering taking it separately. Nevertheless, they stepped out inside The Leaky Cauldron, Harry a little more gracefully than last time. He brushed off some of the soot and adjusted his glasses before Ginny yanked him along into the courtyard, where Bill opened the gateway to Diagon Alley.

They walked straight through the wizarding shopping street without paying attention to much until they reached the great marbled building that was Gringotts. While Harry didn't particularly mind the goblins, Ginny claimed they looked rather creepy, with their long fingers.

 _After my first visit to Gringotts I dreamed that they would use those horribly long finger and do all sorts of gruesome things to me. And the way they looked at me with those black eyes… I know it were just dreams, but I was four; it stuck. Choking me was the most common dream. They give me the shivers each time I look at them,_ she admitted to Harry. _My brothers don't know. They'd never stop teasing me about it._

Harry gave her a comforting smile. _I think they'd be in lot of trouble with both their own and the wizardkind should they try to hurt you. Gringotts would get a bad reputation, and that's not working in their favour._

 _How d'you know?_ Ginny wondered.

 _That's generally how banks work. Muggle banks too. Uncle Vernon mentioned it to Dudley a few years ago, while teaching Dudley how to make alliances in the banks._ His hand touched her very briefly, though they were reluctant to hold hands in a place where they might so easily be recognized.

Bill lead the way over to one of the goblins. "Mr. Harry Potter wishes to see his Family Vault," he said in a low voice, and glanced around to make sure no one was near enough to overhear him.

"Mr. Potter?" The goblin's gaze shifted to Harry. "Yes, of course. We were about to send an owl for Mr. Potter concerning a rather… delicate matter of last night, but it seems like it is of no surprise?"

"It's not," Harry said.

The goblin watched him closely for a moment. "Ingrod!" he shouted to a different goblin, who was slightly taller than the first, but with oddly small ears for a goblin. They exchanged a conversation in goblin language before Ingrod had Harry and Ginny follow through a series of corridors to a small office furnished with a very small desk accompanied with an equally small chair, which Ingrod now sat down in, after offering normal-sized chairs to Harry and Ginny.

"Now. I believe you are just as aware of the event of last night as I am?"

"How do you know about that?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Gringotts Bank has to keep informed of people who marry, Mr. Potter. Your wife will for instance require access to the Potter Family vault, and as you are both now of maturity, is there a wish on Mrs. Potter's side to establish her private vault?"

Ginny had to smile a little at being called Mrs. Potter. She exchanged a look with Harry.

"You don't have to, you know. If it's possible to use my trust vault as a personal vault," he began, throwing an inquisitive glance towards Ingrod, "then perhaps Ginny could be keyed into that? Bill suggested it might be easiest, since old family vaults apparently are much deeper and far more protected than the others. It would be rather troublesome to go all the way down to the family vaults each time, wouldn't it?"

"Indeed, it would, Mr. Potter. If it is to Mrs. Potter's agreement, that could easily be arranged."

Ginny then nodded. "I'd like that. Thanks."

Ingrod started to search through one of the drawers of his desk until he found a piece of parchment with some sort of contract on it.

"This will be our security; it will check your magical core and ensure that you are the one that you say you are. Only then can we code you into the smaller vault," he explained.

"Do I have to do that to access the Potter Family vault too?" Ginny wondered.

"No. That happened automatically as soon as you became husband and wife."

Ginny skimmed through the contract and signed before they left the office. Bill joined them as they were taken to the carts.

The trip down to the vault felt extremely long, and they even had to drive through a waterfall, which Bill explained as the Thief's Downfall, "charmed to wash away any concealment and enchantment of those passing, to reveal potential thieves."

To get to the vault they had to pass a huge dragon and a campitor(a giant, black horse covered in flames, and with lethal heat), and then even deeper. At last they reached a large iron door with dozens of locks and charms, Harry noticed, and none of them were of the gentle sort.

"Any who touches the door, who is not a Potter by blood or by marriage," Ingrod's eyes shifted to Ginny as he spoke," will be sucked into a chamber behind the vaults, which are checked every ten years or so." He grinned nastily.

"Well, I am a Potter by blood," Harry said, "what am I supposed to do to open it?"

Ingrod moved forward and touched the door with his palm. It lit up in a deep green colour. "Touch the door."

Harry stepped forward and placed his hand on the door; it melted away beneath his fingers, revealing mountains of gold, trinkets and jewellery. There were shelves crammed with books looking like they dated back to ancient history, odd potions stored in bottles, several exquisite animal hides; one of them looking like it belonged to an enormous leopard.

"You've got to be joking!" Bill exclaimed with awe in his voice. "Hide of a Nundu! But they're impossible to kill!" he declared. "How in the world did the Potters get their hands on this?"

Near the entrance there was a table, on which several parcments and an old, rusty key lay. Harry noticed that it had some sort of enchantments that he didn't know of, but he figured it would whish you somewhere else if activated. Ginny reckoned it was a portkey.

Harry was more interested in the parchments. He grabbed the first one and opened it.

"It's a real estate title!" Harry exclaimed as skimmed though the page. "Come and look, Ginny; it's in Tuscany!"

"It is?" she bounced over a heap of antique rugs to reach him

"Yeah, there are even a few photos added," he said and showed her five photos of a beautiful vineyard at the heart of Italy; a manor house surrounded by kilometres of grape trees.

"That's a lot of grapes! I think one of your ancestors may have enjoyed wine quite a lot to have gotten that one," Ginny pointed out and reached for another of the deeds. This one was without photos. "Harry, there's a Palace here! South Wilton Palace in Devon, also known as Potter Palace since 1799," Ginny read. Harry leaned over in surprise.

Why would the Potter family own a palace? They weren't royals, even though they were bloody rich. "D'you think there are any books about the family history in here?" he suggested.

"Probably." She pulled out a handwritten note from behind the title and read out loud. "'Dear Harry. We expect that it is you who is the next to enter the Potter Family Vault when you become of age. Potter Palace is where you would have grown up had we not been forced to go into hiding. It was demolished after your paternal grandparents were killed, but I worked closely with my contacts to rebuild it. It is secured with a variety of the Fidelius Charm. It is called the Posterus Charm, and works very similarly, but rather than being passed on to everyone included in the secret that the Fidelius Charm hides, the Posterus Charm is passed on from father to the eldest child, which is you, Harry. In order to aquire the knowledge that I would have passed on to you, you will find the note attached to this letter only readable for you, because it is only meant for my eldest son to read. When you read it, you will become the secret keeper, so be careful of who you share the secret with. There are books about the history of the family home in the vault if you look for it. The key on the table is a one-time only portkey to the location, and you activate it by saying "Show me home." All our love, James and Lily.'"

Harry smiled faintly and met Ginny's gaze. "We could check it out afterwards, if you like?"

She nodded in agreement and carefully rolled the title back up. They skimmed through the next four titles, finding manors, houses and chalets in the Swiss alpes; Franschhoek, South Africa; Cannes, France, and a small, private, magical island off the coast of Spain.

They had just rolled up the last title when Bill returned. He carried a few books, and had a rather wide smile on his face.

"I think your father was a restless man, Harry. You'll never believe what he was doing while he was supposed to be in hiding," he declared.

"What?" Harry inquired.

"Researched You-Know-Who. His notes are here." He flung a small book from the top of the stack to Harry, who gaped at his brother-in-law. "I looked through some of it; Riddle grew up in a muggle orphanage, should we believe your dad."

"He did? I thought he'd go with some family or something, you know, after his mother died and his father left before he was born. Riddle said they did in the Chamber."

"Apparently not. We'll look through it more closely at home." Bill conjured a bag which he stuffed the books inside.

"What are the rest of the books about?" Ginny asked.

"There's one about your family history, Harry, which I thought you might be interested in, and there's one about mind-reading; what most people call occlumency. The last ones are about… you read that part about the possibility of being natural animagi in my book, didn't you?" Bill asked.

"Yes, I did. You might be either natural animagus or a shapeshifter, which means that you have a wider selection of animals to transform into. It's not the same as being an animagus," Harry assured Ginny. "Shapeshifters are like… err… either you're born with it, or you're not, or you might aquire it like a coincidence of fate and magic, like our bond. Animagus is different. You'll have to practice a lot to do it."

"Yes, well, that's what these last two are about." He showed them the titles; _Rare magical abilities: the shapeshifter_ , and _Becoming an Animagus_.

"Cool!" Harry declared happily.

Minutes later he found the note that his parents had talked about, saying exactly where Potter Palace were.

They spent some more time exploring the vault before leaving, bringing along the portkey. Once back in the atrium Harry, Ginny and Bill gathered around the key.

"Show me home," Harry said, and a moment later felt a hook pulling at him from right behind his navel, and then he was pulled forward until his feet hit the ground violently and forced him to take a step backwards to stay on his feet. _Merlin, that's rough!_ He commented to Ginny, who agreed whole-heartedly, having toppled over and landed on her bum.

Harry pulled her to her feet and looked around. They stood in front of a beautifully carved white marble building, which was large and grand in its own special way, quite distinct from other large houses that Harry had seen, like Blenheim Palace, which he had seen while on excursion with his class at St. Grogory's Primary School. To his right he heard Bill comparing it to Hogwarts. The front yard lacked the overly symmetrical hedges and lawns that Harry had seen on pictures from various grand estates around Europe. Instead was a rather cozy garden with rather large, blossoming azaleas, some rather impressive willows on either side of the pathway, and overgrown flowerbeds with traces of old greatness with the occasional tulip or peony poking through the weeds.

 _I think it looks pretty,_ Ginny declared. _Or at least, it will once we fix it up a bit. It's not pompously symmetrical, yet it doesn't look messy._

The property was surrounded by a tall fence with a gate located right behind them. The path lead through the front garden, and up the staircase of the building, ending with a landing in front of the entrance door, which swung open as soon as Ginny touched it.

While Harry, Ginny and Bill explored the palace, the fireplace at the Burrow lit up, and a tall, thin man with a crooked hat, half-moon spectacles and bright purple robes stepped out, brushing soot off his clothes. He looked around, spotting Mrs. Weasley by the backdoor, watching her children play Quidditch in the orchard.

"Ah, good morning, Molly!" Dumbledore said.

She turned, startled, and looked at the headmaster in surprise, putting up a falsely happy smile. "Professor Dumbledore! What a surprise! What brings you here?"

"I merely wanted a word with your daughter. Is she in her room?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, she is with Bill in Diagon Alley," Mrs. Weasley said, casually evading Harry being there as well. "What is it? Has she done anything wrong?"

"Oh no, not at all. I just wanted to ensure that she is alright after the incident with the Chamber," Dumbledore said. "Do you know when she will be back?"

"No, to be honest, I don't know. But she's with Bill, so she should be alright," Mrs Weasley said.

"Of course. William is a talented wizard. Well, I will just come back later. Goodbye, Molly," Dumbledore smiled at her and left through the floo.

Mrs. Weasley frowned with concern and was tempted to shut the floo, was it not for that it would be how Harry, Ginny and Bill would return. She sighed and began bustling with dinner just to get her nerves to calm a little.

Harry watched Ginny as she explored the library. Bill had ended up in the middle of the floor with a book on the history of the building, and looked intrigued.

"Apparently, the palace was once a royal residence, but used very rarely, so when William Potter married King George III's youngest and favourite daughter Princess Amelia, the King gave them the palace as a wedding present," he explained.

"Oh. Right. But I thought the Potters were purebloods?"

Bill looked up and grinned at him. "There's a lot that muggles don't know about their Royalty, Harry. "But indeed, the Potters were purebloods. So was Princess Amelia, although her generation was the last pureblood, because Queen Victoria was no more than a muggle, her father, being a squib, had married a muggle princess from Germany."

"Harry?" Ginny's voice had him turn as she emerged from the rows of bookshelves. "I'm hungry. Perhaps we should go home now?"

Harry nodded in agreement. "But how?"

"We could have taken the floo, but since there is no floo powder here, I'll do side-along apparition, but I'd have to return for one of you," Bill said.

"How does apparition work?" Harry wondered, never having seen anyone apparate yet.

"You'll learn about it during your sixth year, but you've got to have a lot of focus; one has to think of destination, determination and deliberation. For instance," he said and grabbed Ginny's arm, "If I'm going to the Burrow, I have to envision myself at the Burrow very clearly, and then I have to be firm on it; don't let anything distract you, and be determined. Then you must remember not to stress, because that'll only get you splinched. Thus, deliberation. And then one twists on the spot," Bill twisted and the next moment he was gone.

Harry reasoned that since he had to apparate with Bill, he had to think of those things too, so he tried to do his best to prepare for when Bill returned. He closed his eyes to keep focus. Thus, he was very surprised when he felt some force pushing at him from all sides for a moment. Then he swayed and fell flat on his face.

He heard Ginny's voice as she shouted something, and managed to turn around, thinking she and Bill had returned for some unknown reason. But what he saw was the kitchen at the Burrow and Ginny's concerned face hovering over him.

"You total git, Harry! You weren't supposed to do it! You don't have to do anything with side-along apparition!" she declared hotly, poking his chest. "Did you splinch?"

"Err…" he began, not really knowing what splinching was. Ginny showed him through their connection.

"No, I don't think so."

Then Bill was there and lifted him to his feet before looking around him to ensure that he was not splinched. "That was really stupid of you, Harry," he declared.

"But I didn't really mean to apparate! I meant to prepare for when to go with you; I thought I had to think those things too," Harry tried to explain.

"Well, you didn't have to," Bill said sourly.

"I didn't know that. Look, I'm sorry."

Bill sighed. "It's alright. We were just worried. Apparition is a useful ability, but I'd suggest you don't try it again yet. I'll mention it to dad. Perhaps he can practice with you."

"Ginny too?"

Bill glanced at Ginny. "I don't see why not."

Mrs. Weasley entered from her garden that moment, her arms full with herbs for the dinner. "Oh! You're back! How did it go?"

"Harry's got a palace, mum," Ginny declared. "It's the perfect hiding spot, since it's hidden under the Fidelius Charm."

"No, not the Fidelius Charm. The Posterus Charm," Harry corrected.

"Oh, well that's good, because Dumbledore was here while you were gone," Mrs. Weasley informed them.

"What!" Harry exclaimed. "What did he want? Did he suggest to obliviate Ginny?"

"Not directly, but he asked for her, and I think that is what he wanted. I didn't tell him you were here, Harry. It's best he doesn't know."

"Thanks," Harry said. "Will he come back, d'you think, Mrs. Weasley?"

"Most likely," she said, depositing the herbs on the counter beside the stove.

Harry and Ginny headed out to the orchard, where the other Weasleys were, save Percy, and were eager to hear what had occurred at Gringotts. They settled on the grass while Harry told them what they had found in the vault, and Ginny launched into describing Potter Palace with eagerness.

"There's a real Quidditch field?" Ron asked. "Cool! Can we try it out?"

"Yeah, sure. Bill tested the fireplace in one of the drawing rooms, and it was connected to the floo. Only, we have to get floo powder," Ginny said, tearing up some straws of grass beside her.

"What's the address?" George asked.

"It's…" she began, "It's… I can't say it! You'll have to say it, Harry; it's the Charm."

"Right." He lowered his voice, "Foxwood Lane."

"Only that?" Ron wondered as he juggled the apple that they used as Quaffle.

"Yeah. It's the name of the private lane that leads to the main road a couple of kilometres down," Harry explained.

"Where in the world is it?" Fred asked.

"Scotland?" George suggested.

"Suffolk?"

"Norfolk?"

"Shropshire?"

"Gloucestershire?"

"Herefordshire?"

"Cambridgeshire?"

"Northamptonshire?"

"Nottinghamshire?"

"Buckinghamshire?"

"Yorkshire?"

"No!" Ginny began to laugh, "it's in Devon."

"Really?" Fred declared.

"In Devon?" George said, mock increduous.

"We could never have guessed that it was so close to home!"

"Hermione's coming tonight," Ron said, "don't tell her about the library, or we won't get her out of there for the rest of the summer."

"Right. But she'd probably find it by herself. It's rather hard to miss, as it occupies almost the entire north-east wing," Harry said. He leaned backwards on the grass, and Ginny placed her hand on top of his. "Your mum said Dumbledore was here."

"He was?" Ron looked alarmed.

Harry nodded. "Apparently, he was asking for Ginny."

"Oh? He wanted to obliviate her, didn't he?" George growled angrily.

Harry nodded, equally annoyed with the Headmaster. "I suspect that's what he wanted to do."


	6. Preparations and Protection

Harry and Ginny felt the immediate effect of their now completed soulbond, wanting to hold hands whenever they could, hug each other or even more; kiss, even though Harry had yet no romantic feelings for Ginny. Bill explained to him that those kinds of feelings were sure to come, but that he was only thirteen yet.

It was rather expected that Dumbledore returned a few hours after dinner. He smiled casually at Mrs. Weasley.

"I don't recall having invited you over, Professor Dumbledore," she said with a surprisingly cold voice that Harry didn't think suited her.

"Perhaps not, but this is a visit of great importance," Dumbledore said, ignoring her chilly tone, and stepped into the living room.

"Miss… err…. Miss W… Ginny, perhaps you would like to join me outside for a talk?"

Arthur looked up from his investigating a muggle pen that he had found during one of his raids, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Dumbledore. George had to be restrained by Fred, and Percy and Ron had to team up on Bill, to keep him from hexing Dumbledore.

"Why, Headmaster? What's the matter?" Ginny said, standing.

Harry was rather surprised that Dumbledore had yet to notice him, but he was parly concealed behind Mr. Weasley and his armchair.

"You're not in trouble, I assure you," Dumbledore smiled jovially.

 _I've got your back,_ Harry assured her. _Go with him and figure out what he says._

 _Perhaps he can give us some clues about the diary._

Ginny gave him a mental nod and stood. Harry quieted her family with a look and snuck after Dumbledore and Ginny when Dumbledore had his back turned. Mr. Weasley watched him with hope and moved to watch from the window.

"Harry's got her," he assured his sons when they joined him.

Dumbledore lead Ginny into the backyard and stopped by Mr. Weasley's shed. Harry paused a few metres away, his wand drawn and watching closely.

"How are you doing, Miss…" Dumbledore made an odd pause, and looked like he was about to cough. "Err… Ginny?"

 _Can't say Miss Weasley, can he?"_ Ginny smiled smugly. _It's not my name anymore._

Harry filled with glee; Dumbledore had no idea, yet, he couldn't say her name. Because she was his. He let his walls drop enough to hear Dumbledore's thoughts clearly. What he learned put him even more on guard.

"I'm fine, thanks. Why are you here, Headmaster?"

"I am just checking up on you. Your first year at Hogwarts was a rather dramatic start of your education," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, but I've got family and friends who support me. I'm fine, really."

"I have no doubt. But it is for the best." His wand was in his hand in a blink of an eye.

Harry reacted instinctively. Just as a spell shot out of the Headmaster's wand, a vast, silver shield appeared in front of Ginny. The spell was not visible; there was no light, but it created a great blast when it hit Harry's shield. Dumbledore was knocked backwards whereas Ginny remained on her feet, but Harry stalked forwards, into view, the magic crackling around him as his anger tested his control.

"Trying to obliviate my wife, are you?" he growled, his wand aimed at him.

Dumbledore got on his feet just in time to shield himself from Harry's disarming spell, and retaliated the same way, only that it hit home. Harry's wand was knocked out of his grip, but Harry found himself unable to panic. He approached him like a tiger sneaking up on a prey.

"Is it not enough that you hide away a prophecy that obviously concerns me? Why? Why haven't you told me about it? Don't tell me you expect me to kill Voldemort on my own?" He demanded heatedly.

"H-How do you know – " Dumbledore stuttered, looking honestly frightened.

"How do I know about the prophecy? Well, not thanks to you!" Harry let his instincts to take over. Grasping hold of the magic that tried to lash out, he directed it through his arm and out his hand as a bright orange spell flew towards the Headmaster, who backed away hurriedly, having expected the attack to stop. He struggled to summon a shield while Harry threw spell after spell at him. Most of them were unfamiliar to Harry, but upon impact, a tree was cracked in two, a large piece of dirt and grass was blown into the air, the rest, who hit target, created large blasts that blew each of Dumbledore's shields to pieces. Hence, the furious retreat.

"You will not ever touch Ginny or my family again!" He growled and shot another, brilliant blue spell at the Headmaster, which created a deep gash on the man's chest.

Dumbledore groaned in pain and tried to retaliate with a stunner, which was knocked aside by Harry, who knew it was coming.

"Harry, calm down, please! I thought it was for the best – "

"It is Mr. Potter to you, Headmaster! I don't call you Albus, you don't call me Harry! You haven't earned the right!" Harry shouted at him, "And how do you explain obliviating an innocent person as a good thing? Ginny didn't do anything wrong!"

"Harry – "

"Leave!" Harry snapped, moving closer to the fallen man. "Leave before I make you!"

There was a crack, and Dumbledore was gone. Only then did Harry's anger dissipate, and he turned to find Ginny. She came sprinting towards him and threw herself around his neck, pressing a kiss to his lips, which he returned.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

She looked at him with incredulity. "Me? I was protected by a strong shield! Did he manage to hit you?"

"No, only the disarming charm." He spotted his wand lying on the grass near the splintered tree.

Ron, emerging first from the kitchen door, picked it up on his way over. Mrs. Weasley was first, however, and immediately began checking Harry over for any damage.

"Are you sure he didn't get you?" she asked concernedly, and after Harry had assured her several times that he was unhurt, she began fussing over Ginny.

"Where did you learn to duel like that, Harry?" Bill asked, watching Harry with an expression of awe. "You made the Greatest Wizard of all time, he who conquered Grindelwald, to look like a first-year."

"I really just lost control to my instincts. I think the bond took over a little when Ginny was threatened," Harry said.

"Well, I am capable of defending myself, but thank you, Harry. I hadn't been able to deflect that Memory Charm in time. He was so fast," Ginny said, a little disappointed.

"I know." Harry gave her a comforting hug.

"That was brilliant, mate!" Ron declared as he handed Harry his wand. "I bet he won't try anything in a while now."

"I hope you're right, Ron," Harry admitted.

"Let's go back inside," Mr. Weasley said. "I think there are things that we should discuss, and I brought something back from work."

"Not more batteries, is it?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a resigned tone.

"No, dear; I brought a copy of Harry's files from the Wizards' Registry," Mr. Weasley said, leading his brood inside to the living room.

"What – why do they have a file on Harry?" Ron asked confused, dumping into one of the arm chairs before kicking his shoes off.

"The Wizards' Registry has a file on all of us with basic information to know where witches and wizards live in case there should be an attack. However, their registry is rather inaccurate, since they can't go around Fidelius Charms and the like. They only state the general area. Our files, for instance, say that we live near Ottery St. Catchpole, but they only know this because I work at the Ministry. Harry's, for instance, says only Surrey. Or, it did until last night." Mr. Weasley started to rummage inside a bag, and pulled out some parchment which he handed to Harry.

Ginny leaned over to see as Harry unrolled it.

 _HARRY JAMES POTTER_

 _Born: July 31_ _st_ _1980 to James Potter and Lily Potter (née Evans) - registered maturity_

 _Status: Married to Ginevra Molly Potter (née Weasley)_

 _Location of residence: Unknown_

 _AUTHORIZED TO KILL_

Harry stared at the last three words highlighted in large letters at the bottom. Why would he have authorization to kill? Had the Ministry given him that? Perhaps it was a fake? He glanced at Ginny.

"What do you think?" he didn't need to explain further for her to understand.

"It could of course be a fake, but I trust my dad. You know I do," she said softly, taking his hand.

"The only thing I could think of," Mr. Weasley began, "is that it has something to do with your bond. Bill's book talked about you being a protector of sorts, Harry, which I believe entails those instincts you mentioned outside right now, and that power you showed."

"That doesn't explain anything, Mr. Weasley," Harry pointed out. "It doesn't explain why I would have been given authority to kill someone."

There were shocked exclamations from the others, who hadn't seen it, and Ron crossed the room on three steps to look at the note Harry still held in his hand. "Perhaps it has something to do with You-Know-Who? That they know somehow that you'll have to kill him?"

Mrs. Weasley muttered indignantly to herself as she peered over Harry's shoulder. "To think giving such powers to a child! What are they thinking?"

"It might not be the Ministry at all," Percy spoke up, to all of their surprise. He usually stayed quiet, busy with his books, or trying to avoid Fred and George's attempts to tease him about his Head Boy badge. "I heard from someone at school that some things appears on the files in the Registry without the Ministry's intervention, and that there's some higher power in control. It doesn't explain why, but it might help explain how." He flushed when he realized that he had caught everybody's attention.

"That's right, Percy," Mr. Weasley commented, nodding in agreement. "Harry and Ginny's bond is based on magic, so that is the most likely reason."

"Is there a manager of the files who knows, perhaps?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I'll check tomorrow. This is a little too unsettling to leave alone."

It was decided that evening that Harry and Ginny were to move into Potter Palace the day after. Mr. Weasley reckoned that Dumbledore was going to return, and didn't want Ginny left unprotected. Ginny herself huffed in annoyance of being treated as a little child.

"We all know that you can deliver some rather nasty hexes, Gin, but it's better to be safe than sorry, because those memories won't come back. Once he hits you with that charm we won't know if you'll turn out like Lockhart or if you'll only forget parts. But still; you remember all those times where there were black holes in your memory – " Harry was stopped as Ginny flung herself around his neck, tears streaming down her face.

"I know, I know! I don't want more of that! I'm sorry! I'll stay away from Dumbledore," she sobbed as her fingers buried into the back of his shirt, holding tightly.

Harry knew that the black holes had been disturbing, but he hadn't foreseen bringing them up again would cause such a strong reaction in her. He rubbed her back gently with one hand. "It's alright; no-one blames you. Trust me, we didn't mean to make you feel this dependent on others, because you're not. Just be prepared. You'll see in a few more years at Hogwarts, people won't dare mess with you."

"You – you think so?" she leaned back to look at him, drying her face with the back of her hand.

"I know so. You do one hell of a Bat-Bogey Hex already, so I barely dare think of what you can manage by the time you take your O. ," Harry said confidently.

Ginny hugged him fiercely. "How did I deserve you?"

"Don't know," Harry retorted teasingly, earning a shove to his chest and a rather loud kiss that had Ron flush beet red, Mrs. Weasley to look away, looking slightly displeased.

"Is that really necessary?" Percy commented annoyedly, glaring at his sister.

"Yes!" sounded a chorus from not only Harry and Ginny, but also Mrs. Weasley and Bill.

By the time Hermione arrived, Ginny was fighting indignantly with her mother to let Harry stay in her room with her, and avidly used her nightmares as trumph card. Poor Hermione walked straight into the argument with utter confusion. Ron, who had been watching with apprehension, smiled when spotting her and crossed the kitchen with as few strides as possible before he hugged her.

"Hello, Hermione!"

"Hi!" she said and looked at Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. "Do I want to know what's going on here?"

Ron informed her of the day's events, even what he had heard of Harry and Ginny's visit to the Potter Family vault, and of Potter Palace, with Harry filling in pieces. When they got to talk about Dumbledore, Hermione's mouth fell open in shock, and she stared at Harry with disbelief.

"I can't believe you attacked a teacher!" she declared.

Harry gave her a sour look. "Well, he tried to obliviate Ginny. He started it. I was only going defensive."

"Harry and Ginny are leaving for Potter Palace tomorrow instead. For security. It's much more protected than the Burrow, and Dumbledore can't access it," Ron said.

"But what will you do when you return to Hogwarts? Because you must return to Hogwarts," Hermione declared.

"We'll have to try to avoid him," Harry said. "It'll be tricky, but hopefully he got the point today." He then glanced at Ginny again, who looked defeated and annoyed.

"We should have left today!" she snapped angrily at her mother and stomped hard in the stairs on her way up to her room.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Settling into South Wilton Palace was a little stranger than Harry and Ginny had anticipated. After a couple of days, they decided it was only because of security. Until Dumbledore came to his senses, they would stay there. It was a little too grand for their taste, but since it was both unplottable and protected by the Posterus Charm, it was better than any alternative they had. Harry and Ginny spent the evenings reading James Potter's notes on Voldemort's background, and of all the darkness that Tom Riddle's actions had shown. He had never experienced love; grown up in an orphanage, shunned by everyone because he was different, and already at Hogwarts found an affinity for the Dark Arts, which sent him into the crowd of the cold, heartless people that eventually formed the Death Eaters.

Outside exploring the Potter library and unfolding and testing their magic, Harry and Ginny worked with the garden. It looked like a right mess, but there were several books on gardening in the library, with a lot of helpful spells, like the stone-gathering charm, which they used after having used the digging charm to remove the turf. The small lake had been cleaned out, and the nearly blocked creeks that brought water in and out of the lake were opened. Ginny had been malicious with the Severing Charm in pruning the bushes, trees and thickets, although she relented when Harry suggested they just remove the pink spirea that neither wanted. Instead they moved the ancient rhododendron closer to the house, planted wisteria by the fence, and renewed the herb garden that had been there. There were small reminders of what had been there; dittany, asphodel, aconite, fluxweed, wormwood; even deathwort was present.

"That's no excuse for not doing well in Potions and Herbology," Ginny pointed out.

"There is a potions lab on second floor. I'd like to figure out how much I could figure out with that magic-sensing skill," Harry said.

"Yes, but be careful. Potions can be risky business if you don't know what you're doing."

But that was exactly what they did next; they tried to expand their understanding of each ingredient, each little element and every little action taken with the potions, and how it affected the ingredients. The Potter library had several books that, alone, taught them more about potions than Snape had done in one, or in Harry's case, two years, and it helped with Harry's magic sensory skills. That way they could experiment, but he could still tell when it turned dangerous, and when they had to back off.

The fourth day that Ron, Fred, George, Hermione and Bill visited, they brought news of that Dumbledore had stepped by that morning.

"He did several charms, probably to figure out if you were at the Burrow, Harry – " Fred began.

" – and admitted that you were lost from The Leaky Cauldron – " George continued.

" – where you were supposed to stay for the rest of the holiday."

"And then he told mum to tell you not to go back to the Dursleys if you appeared at the Burrow," George finished.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "He said something about the protection wards around Privet Drive having collapesed."

"They probably did when Harry and Ginny completed the bond," Bill said. "If it's linked to Harry personally, it would most likely have fallen when he got his majority."

Also, they brought the news that Slughorn had sent an answer to the letter Bill had sent, and agreed to have a talk in a few days. Bill had cleverly avoided mentioning Tom Riddle, in case the man turned out to be a supporter of Voldemort, or worse, a Death Eater. It wouldn't do to alarm his followers into taking action sooner than anticipated.

"I want both of you to come. You can tell if he's lying, Ginny, and mum suggested he'd try to suck up to you, Harry, given that you're famous," Bill said.

Harry grumbled, but complied. "If we suspect he knows something, though, but won't tell, I'll do whatever it takes. This is a matter of preventing another war."

"At least you'll have a warning if he's close to Tom," Ginny said, "what with your scar hurting, I mean."

"Yeah," Harry muttered, frowning thoughtfully.

"Wait. What do you mean with your scar hurting? If it's just a scar, it's not supposed to do that," Bill said, straightening in alarm. He leaned closer to Harry and brushed his fringe aside to see the scar better.

"Well, it is the result of a Killing Curse. There are no survivors before who can explain it," Ginny snapped at him.

"Easy, wildfire," Bill muttered. "You said it hurt when You-Know-Who is near?"

"Yes, or when anyone who supports him is posing some sort of danger," his eyes snapped over to Ginny, who he felt protesting. "How do you explain that it hurt when Snape looked at me during the Sorting Feast my first year?"

"I don't know, but he doesn't particularly like you, and it's never hurt after that while you're around him," Ginny pointed out.

"Harry," Bill interrupted, "Do you mind if I checked it out? From what it sounds like, there is some magic that connect you to You-Know-Who in that scar, and I don't like it a bit."

"No, go ahead. I don't want Voldemort's magic inside me. He's already given me the ability to speak Parseltongue."

"Wait!" Ron exclaimed suddenly, "if that's what's giving you the ability to speak Parseltongue, we should get that basilisk venom from the Chamber before you remove it! We can't get in without speaking Snake."

"Good point, Ron," Bill said. "I'll just check it out for now, then, and we'll go to Hogwarts tomorrow."

Hermione looked at Ron with a beam of pride. His ears then turned pink, and his smile split into a goofy grin.

"See, I'm not as stupid as you think! I pay attention."

"Yes, if you only pay more attention at school, you could do really well," Hermione replied.

Ron responded with a scowl.

Bill ordered Harry into a chair and performed a multitude of charms on his scars, that, according to Ginny, had it turn pink, and then blue and green. For each spell Bill grew more and more concerned, and even the normally lively twins looked unnaturally subdued at seeing their brother's seriousness.

"I doubt he intended to put it in you," Bill said at last, "but somehow, that night, You-Know-Who put a Horcrux in you. That explains a little bit of the first prophecy, because in order for him to die, you will have to die, so to destroy the last Horcrux." He dumped into a chair with a weary, sad look.

"No!" Ginny shrieked. "There has to be another way!" Her voice was slightly desperate, and she looked at Bill as if he might somehow have a hidden solution to the problem. "He can't die! He just can't, because then I will kill myself!" She then threw herself at Harry, who stared dumbly on the wall.

His body felt numb. Not particularly happy, and not particularly sad. He would at least be able to see his parents again. And then, since the book said there was no living without the other, Ginny would come with him soon. It only left his friends and the Weasleys.

"Harry? You're really powerful, right?" Fred began.

Everyone looked at him with confusion; even George did. Harry nodded, but he couldn't see where Fred wanted to go with this.

"Can you possibly feel the magic of the Horcrux inside you? D'you think, with all its darkness, that with your bond with Ginny can help you destroy it? I mean, you said that Riddle had never experienced love, right, so that would be something that he didn't know. But you and little Gin-Gin have plenty of it."

"That might have been what the prophecy meant," Hermione reasoned. "The power that You-Know-Who doesn't know is love, and love caused Harry and Ginny's bond."

"We aren't _in_ love with each other," Harry protested.

"No, but you can love one another without being in love," Mrs. Weasley said with a warm smile, "That's how family works. You're too young to be in love anyway. It will come when you get older."

"It's a better explanation than claiming that the bond alone was that power, because You-Know-Who could get information about that from his followers if we're careless, but if he doesn't understand the concept of love, then he can't learn it by aquiring information," George said.

Hermione nodded in confirmation. "Exactly!"

Harry closed his eyes and focussed his attention inwards – inside himself. Ginny's hand took his as he began to search the corners of his mind. It took a long while – how long Harry had no idea, before he encountered an area so dark that all he wanted was to shy away from it.

His eyes burts open, startled, and tumbled out of his chair, to roars of laughter from Ron and the twins. Hermione, however, did not find it amusing at all and Ginny looked furious.

"What did you find, Harry?" Bill asked.

"Darkness. It's horrible. I want it out. Can we get that venom right now?" Harry asked.

Bill hesitated for a second or so. "I guess. But it'll be best if only you and I went; two people are less likely to spot than seven. Besides, I don't want to think of what Fred and George would do with basilisk venom." He shuddered at the thought, and horrible visions appeared in Ginny's mind. She shook her head to clear them out.

"I don't want to go back there anyway. At least not so soon after…"

"I understand," Harry said and gave her a hug. "We will be back as soon as we can."

"Harry, grab your invisibility cloak just to be sure," Bill ordered him, and Harry nodded before he ran off to fetch it.

Getting the basilisk fangs was easy; coming and going without being noticed was not, but they managed to get outside the borders thanks to clever use of Harry's Cloak and a map that Fred and George had nicked from Filch's office during their first year. Seeing the names written on it, however, reminded Harry of Sirius. Harry decided to take action concerning Sirius later in the evening.

"I want that Horcrux gone right now," Ginny growled. The thought of Harry having to get killed, and him carrying a piece of Voldemort's soul was particularly upsetting to her after the incident with the diary.

Harry hesitated. "Right. Any idea how?"

They were at South Wilton Palace, with Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Bill and Mrs. Weasley gathered in the drawing room with them.

"No. You're the one who can feel it. You have to guide me," she replied.

He watched her thoughtfully for a few seconds before he lay down on the sofa. "Come here. I think I've got an idea, but you need to be close."

Ginny watched him curiously, but lay down on the sofa with him, thoroughly enjoying the close contact. Following his lead, she closed her eyes and watched how he searched through the magic inside of him until he found the dark area. Oh, it was truly horrible, she decided. And then, as she peered into his mind, she felt him pulling on all the love that he possessed for her. It was so massive she felt overwhelmed.

 _You too, Gin_.

She thought of Harry, and she thought of how he had saved her without hesitating to put his own life in danger. Thinking of all the many reasons why she loved him, she let the feeling fill her up. Together, they pushed all their combined love at the darkness.

It fought back. A cloud started to wrap around them in attempt to suffocate them both. It was painful, and even more so when it started to attack in self-defence. For a while it felt as though it was going to conquer them. The pain was unbearable, and the Horcrux so powerful. Clinging to each other they fought back, uniting all their love to a combined force, which glowed bright golden and pulsated like a heart. Harry added his own magical strength to the combination. Slowly but surely they managed to combat the cloud until they wrapped their own, warm magic of pure love around the black patch and pushed against it from every angle.

Angrily, Ginny started to stab it, as if she wielded a knife, and she saw the golden streaks of magic through Harry's mind. It forced it to split up in smaller pieces, becoming far more vulnerable. Harry attacked each of them with a powerful globe of golden light, swallowing the dark pieces inside, and then crushed them until there were none left.

Ginny opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Harry's own, bright green looking back at her with love and care. His lips curved into a smile, which Ginny couldn't help but return before she gently caressed his cheek and kissed him. It was just as lovely as their first; powerful, breathtaking, and possessing so much of their mutual love.

"How did it go?" Ron's anxious voice sounded from behind.

Ginny turned her head to look over her shoulder. "Bill, could you test it? We think it is gone, but we're not sure. There might be something that we've missed.

Bill nodded and approached them, performing some of the previous spells on Harry. After a minute or so, Bill's face broke into a grin. "Well done, sis, Harry. It's all gone."

"Brilliant!" she beamed happily, but she didn't move out of Harry's arms; she was far too comfortable.


	7. Horace Slughorn

It was dinnertime when Harry remembered Sirius again. The Weasleys and Hermione had gone back to the Burrow, so they were completely alone in the Palace.

 _I'll ask him to see if he's got a home to stay in. If he wants to, he could stay here for the rest of the summer, what do you think?_ Harry asked Ginny as they collaborated on making roast chicken for dinner.

 _I think that's a good idea. It would be great with some company here._ Ginny replied as she tapped the potato masher with her wand to put it into action. She was petite, so to chop safely and see properly she used a stool to stand on, which she used now as well. Harry teased her goodnaturedly about it, and she retaliated by teasing him about his first attempt of the dishwashing charm that they had practiced out of a book, _Essential Household Charms for the Perfect Home,_ which they had bought at the local bookshop.

 _I'll send Hedwig afterwards,_ Harry promised her.

 _Good. Do you think he knows about the Palace?_ She wondered.

 _No idea. He might._ Understanding the Posterus Charm _said he might have forgotten about it after my dad died._

 _Might have?_ She flung the dirty potato masher in the sink and added some lumps of butter, doublechecking with the recipe halfway.

 _It was rather complicated; some forget, others don't. I think it depends on their relationship to the heir at the point when the original Keeper dies. And I don't really know how well I knew Sirius when I was a year old._

They finished cooking and eating within an hour, and then Harry sat down to write.

 _Dear Sirius,_

 _Our last encounters have been rather brief, and I would like for us to get to know each other better, you being my godfather and everything. If you like, you could meet me in the town of Inxbury, at The Black Unicorn Inn tomorrow at noon._

 _Harry._

Hedwig left her new perch and flew through the window with the letter in her beak. Harry then returned to the sofa, where Ginny was reading up on animagi. They both agreed that it would be a rather useful ability, especially if it was a very common animal, like a cat, but they were hesitant to try. Harry knew that since Sirius was an animagus, he could probably help them. The book about natural animagi that Bill had found in the vault, said that it was instinctive, and thus with less risk than having to learn it. It described briefly how to focus one's magic into one of the ten animal forms that fitted the shapeshifter's inner characters. There were only a few sentences, but nevertheless, Harry braved himself to try in their bed later that evening. He gathered his magic and manipulated it the way the book described.

Ginny watched with awe as his body shifted. He shrinked, and his body grew feathers as his arms reshaped into wings. His green eyes turned predatory yellow, which looked upon Ginny when he was done.

It felt really strange. His vision was suddenly far sharper than it had been, and every sensory impression was totally different. He waddled around on the covers a little, testing his wings

 _What am I, Ginny?_ He asked, turning his head to peer on himself. He saw dark brown feathers on his chest and wings, although white feathers covered parts of his underwing. _Am I a falcon?_

 _No…_ she hesitated, _I think you're some sort of eagle, but we'll have to look it up, because I can't recognize it specifically._

Harry watched her curiously. "Do you want to try too, or d'you want to wait until tomorrow?"

"I'll wait until tomorrow. I'm dead tired. Besides, it's not given that I'm a shapeshifter or an animagus too," she said and yawned.

Harry smiled and pulled her into his arms before he fell asleep.

The next morning found Harry with his nose in a book in the Potter library by the time Ginny entered. He looked up and smiled at her.

"I'm checking up eagles," he explained at her unasked question.

"Find anything useful?" she asked as she deliberately dumped down on his lap.

I haven't really studied myself, so do you think you could check for me? There are drawings in the book," he said, looking at her with hope.

"Sure." She stood and let up before taking his place, grabbing the book while Harry transformed. It happened slightly faster than it had last night, but it still felt very strange by the time he was done with it.

He then began to pose for Ginny as she ordered him around to compare him to the drawings. After a few minutes she felt quite certain, though. Being an animal was very different from being a human, Harry decided. There were much more instinct; he just wanted to go out and fly. He wanted to hunt something. So he squawked. Ginny giggled.

"I think you're a Golden Eagle, Harry. In fact, I'm sure that's what you are," she said as he transformed back.

"An eagle? That's going to be interesting," Harry reflected.

Ginny smiled and waved her wand to banish the book. "How about some breakfast? You could test your skills after that. I'd like to see if I've got any too."

Down in the kitchen Harry fried some sausages, eggs and a few slices of toast while Ginny intently focussed on her transformation, mirroring the steps that Harry had followed the evening before. Having to focus so not to burn the toast, Harry thus startled when a soft meow sounded from behind him. Whirling around, he grinned widely when he spotted the long-haired red silver mackarel tabby cat on the floor before him, watching him expectantly.

 _If an innocent-looking independent cat doesn't suit you, Gin, I don't know what will. Lots of force in a small package. Just like you._

Ginny paraded back and forth in front of him, looking smug, her fluffy tail swinging gently back and forth.

 _Well, it'd suit you too, you know, with the nine lives,_ she pointed out and changed back to help him finish breakfast.

 _Who knows? I might be a shapeshifter._

 _You need only two forms to be a shapeshifter, Harry, and a cat is not what fits you best outside the nine lives,_ she pointed out. She turned back and returned to the kitchen bench spelling the knife to chop an apple, some cucumber and tomatoes.

 _Oh?_ He raised a brow at her and dumped the sausages onto two plates. _What, then?_

 _You'd do better as a wolf, for instance. You're protective of those you love, you're loyal, and you're impulsive; you go by your instincts,_ she explained.

 _A wolf? Not something that acts before thinking, huh? Like a deer or a horse or something?_

Ginny giggled. _That's a possibility, of course. The horse is known for strength you know. I think muggles even have a term about strength that originates from the horse –_

 _Horsepower?_ Harry offered, flipping Ginny's egg over. He shuffled his own over on his toast and glanced at his wife.

 _Yes, that's it. And they're supposed to represent respect and wisdom._

 _And freedom,_ he pointed out. _We just got our freedom a few days ago, didn't we? They represent a great deal of freedom, I've heard._

 _Mhm_. She was prevented from answering when a _tap-tap-tap_ was heard from the window. Leaving the newly chopped vegetables on a plate on the table she moved over and opened the window. A barn owl soared inside and landed on the back of one of the chairs, letting Ginny take the letter before it left again.

"It's for you."

"Is it Sirius?" he asked.

Ginny opened it and read an unfamiliar, though elegant hand-writing.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I would love to get to know you better. You have yourself a deal._

 _Sirius._

"Do you want me to come along?" she asked when they had finished it.

"I think I want to explain about us first. Then perhaps I could bring him up here," Harry replied. He turned off the stove and brought both plates over.

"Do that," she said and sat down by the table. "I've got to finish my homework in the meantime. I have an essay for Professor Sinistra left."

Only minutes later Errol arrived with a letter from Bill asking them to meet him and Slughorn after lunch, so early afternoon Harry and Ginny flooed to The Leaky Cauldron. The barman Tom greeted them kindly when he saw them.

"Has Bill Weasley arrived yet?" Ginny asked.

"No, he hasn't," Tom replied.

"What about someone called Slughorn?" she wondered.

"I'm afraid not, miss. Are you going to meet them here?"

"Yes."

"Would it be possible to have a parlour for a few hours, perhaps?" Harry inquired.

"Certainly, Mr. Potter. Should I bring along some tea?"

"That'd be great," Harry said. He and Ginny followed Tom to a parlour similar to the one Harry had talked to Fudge in. They settled into the loveseat and chatted about nothing of importance as they waited. Five minutes later Tom returned with some tea and biscuits, and fifteen minutes after that, Bill entered along with a man so fat that his belly entered the room before him and made the buttons of his waistcoat look as though they were about to burst off. He was bald, but had an enormous walrus mustache, and looked rather old, though Harry doubted he was as old as Dumbledore.

He glanced at Harry and Ginny curiously, before there was some obvious recognition, and his eyes travelled to Harry's scar. "Oho! Who have we here?" The old man held out his hand towards Harry.

"Harry, Ginny , this is Horace Slughorn," Bill said, "Mr. Slughorn, this is Harry Potter and my sister Ginny."

Slughorn beamed widely and shook Harry's hand enthusiastically. "I taught both of your parents,. Brilliant students. One isn't supposed to have favourites, of course, but your mother was one of mine. She had a knack for potions – that's what I taught at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded and glanced at Ginny's frown of uncertainty out of the corner of his eye. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure of the man. If he was playing favourites, Harry was glad they didn't have another Snape at Hogwarts, despite the fact that Ginny didn't find any dark emotions, only dark experiences, and Harry was unable to detect any Dark Mark.

Bill caught Harry's gaze and gave him an inquisitive look, knowing that Harry and Ginny had used their powers. Harry gave a vague nod.

Slughorn sat into one of the plush chairs opposite of Harry and Ginny, and Bill took the one on Harry's left while Harry erected privacy charms behind his back so Slughorn wouldn't notice.

"What were you wanting to see me about?" Slughorn asked with curiosity in his voice.

Harry took the word. "I was wondering when you began to teach at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

Slughorn raised his brows. Obviously, that hadn't been a question he had expected. "I began teaching in the early twenties until the end of the war," he admitted, "why do you ask?"

"Then you must remember one student called Tom Riddle, don't you, Mr. Slughorn?" Harry asked, and smiled smugly as an alarmed look crossed Slughorn's face.

 _Go on, Harry. He knows something._

"I cannot possibly forget that lad. Handsome and brilliant at school. Polite. He was a perfect too." Slughorn sighed. "What about him, Harry?"

"We came across an artefact of his, a very dark one, mind you, which possessed Ginny last school year and put many students in danger. Do you know what kind of an artefact we are talking about?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice even. Beside him, Ginny was using her empathic powers to its greatest extent.

"No," Slughorn said. "I'm afraid I don't. Although I am very sorry for what happened to you, l am afraid I cannot help you." His gaze met Ginny, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Slughorn moved to stand, but a small signal from Ginny was all Harry needed to get up and point his wand towards Slughorn's face until he, with a shocked expression, dumped back into the chair. Only then did Harry lower his wand a little, but he didn't put it away.

"Liar," sounded firmly from Ginny. "We need the truth. A second war is at stake, and multiple innocent lives."

"This is your chance to help. Unless you would rather side with Tom, that is," Harry said coldly.

Bill's eyes moved back and forth as if watching a tennis match, and he appeared to find the dispute rather entertaining. Slughorn on the other hand, looked slightly panicked.

"No, no! You mustn't think that I side with You-Know-Who!" he exclaimed.

"Then you can help us finish him off," Harry said matter-of-factly.

Slughorn stared into his lap. "I can't. You will think I am a horrible man."

"You didn't know then that Tom Riddle was going to become what he did," Bill shot in helpfully.

"No, I didn't. I never even dreamt…"

"Is it possible to do a bargain with you?" Bill went on. "A phial of basilisk venom against letting Harry view your memory?" It had been Mrs. Weasley's suggestion to offer it, knowing Slughorn ran his own affinity for rare potion ingredients.

Startled, Slughorn looked from Bill to Harry and back. "B-Basilisk venom? H-How in the widest… they're so impossibly rare…"

"There was one in the Chamber of Secrets. Riddle controlled it when the Chamber opened fifty years ago, and he did last year too, by possessing an innocent girl. Harry killed it to save her," Bill informed him.

An intrigued look appeared in Slughorn's face as he studied Harry. "Basilisk venom, that is really rare, that is." Slughorn eyed Harry's wand for nearly a minute of silence before he sagged in resignation. "Very well, then. Do you have a pensieve?"

"No. We have other methods," Harry said and pulled out a phial with a clear liquid inside. "Test it if you like. We are not doing trickery with you."

Slughorn accepted the phial and opened it, enthralled. He smelled at it and examined it closely before transfiguring a piece of parchment into a rat before dropping a tiny drop of venom on it. Harry watched with horror as the mouse weakened and died in short time. The scene was too much for Ginny, who rather hid her face against Harry, rather than having to look at what might have happened to Harry, if not for Fawkes.

"'s alright now, Gin," Harry muttererd quietly to her and hugged her. Then he looked at Slughorn, a little annoyed. "Satisfied?"

"Very," Slughorn beamed at him.

"So the memory," Bill reminded him.

Slughorn sighed and lifted his wand to his head, but Bill stopped him.

"No, we don't need that. Harry is a mind-reader. He will watch the memory in your mind. It is safer; no risk of anyone seeing the memory by accident."

Slughorn stared at Harry with a little bit of confusion, but even more curiosity, and started to ask a question. Harry, however, didn't wait to hear it out; he entered Slughorn's mind. There were many memories of his teaching students through countless years. Harry watched how he collected his favourites with distaste. He might not be biased in the same way as Snape, but the fact that he was, bothered Harry. He saw glimpses of his mother as he searched for the memories concerning Riddle. It was far back in time, and a lot of other things kind of blocked it. It was as if he had tried to suppress it.

 _"_ _Look sharp, Tom, you don't want to be caught out of bed out of hours, and you a prefect…" A much younger, slightly slimmer Slughorn with straw blonde hair sat in a chair by the fireplace in a room that Harry figured was his office at Hogwarts with a glass of wine in his hand. A young, handsome boy with dark hair stood in front of him._

 _"_ _Sir, I wanted to ask you something," he said,_

 _"_ _Ask away, then, m'boy! Ask away!" Slughorn said jovially and took a sip of his wine._

 _"_ _I was wondering what you know about… about Horcruxes?" Riddle asked, watching Slughorn with a rather innocent expression. At least, it made Harry impressed. There was no doubt that Riddle must know at least a little in order to even ask Slughorn about it. The word wasn't exactly a part of everyday conversations._

 _"_ _Project for Defence Against the Dark Arts, is this?" He watched Riddle while his thick fingers played with the stem of his glass._

 _"_ _Not exactly, sir," Riddle replied. "I came across the term while reading, but I didn't fully understand it."_

 _"_ _No. Well, you'll be hard pushed to find a book at Hogwarts that'll give you details about Horcruxes, Tom," Slughorn said, looking more grave now. "That's very dark stuff. Very dark, indeed."_

 _"_ _But you obviously know all about them, sir? I mean, a wizard like you – sorry, I mean, if you can't tell me, obviously." Harry was rather impressed by Riddle's ability to convince people. He was sly and secretive, and knew how to press their buttons and push their weaker side, and still being very casual about it. Slughorn didn't even get suspicious. "I just knew if anyone could tell me, you could – so I just though I'd ask – "_

 _Nevertheless, Slughorn hesitated. "Well," he said, "well, it can't hurt to give you an overview. Just so that you understand the term." He seemed to convince himself more than to explain his reasons for Riddle. "A Horcrux is the term used for an object in which a person has concealed a part of their sou."_

 _"_ _But I don't quite understand how that works, sir," Riddle said. There was a hint of excitement hidden behind the carefully managed voice, and Harry wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't expected it._

 _"_ _Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains undamaged and earthbound. But to live a life in such a form… few would want it, Tom. Death would be preferrable to such a life." Slughorn shook his head slowly and made a face of distaste. Riddle, however, was now looking at him with barely concealed excitement, or rather, hunger. Harry realized that Riddle couldn't possibly understand how cursed a life with a split soul was; he was probably only seeing the benefits of immortality. Harry himself could never imagine living forever. That would mean that everyone that he knew and loved would die, and he would have to remain behind alone. The Flamels had, but they had had each other. And even with Ginny by his side, the prospect of eternal life was not at all attractive to Harry._

 _How do you split your soul?" Riddle asked._

 _"_ _Well, Slughorn said, looking distinctly uncomfortable as he stared into his nearly empty glass of wine. "You must understand that the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole. To split it is against nature, an act of violation, would you say."_

 _"_ _But how do you split it?" Riddle insisted, growing impatient. Harry saw fractures of the true Tom underneath the mask that had charmed its way to Slughorn's heart._

 _"_ _By an act of evil – the supreme act of evil. Murder, Tom. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use this to his advantage and encase the torn part – "_

 _"_ _Encase – but how?"_

 _"_ _There is a spell, but don't ask me; I don't know!" Slughorn said, shaking his indignantly. "Do I look like I've tried it? Do I look like a killer?"_

 _"_ _No, of course not, Professor," Riddle's answer came very quickly, "I'm sorry, Professor… I didn't mean to offend – "_

 _"_ _Not at all, Tom! Not at all! It is natural to be curious about such things," Slughorn said dismissively, waving his pudgy hand._

 _"_ _Yes, sir," Riddle said quickly, "what I don't understand, though – just out of curiosity – would one Horcrux be of much use? Can you only split your soul once? Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, if you had your soul in more pieces? I mean, isn't seven the most magical number – "_

 _"_ _Merlin's beard, Tom! Isn't it bad enough to kill one person? And in any case it is bad enough to rip a soul apart, but to do it seven times!" Slughorn exclaimed, looking very troubled, distressed with himself. He looked at Riddle again. "This is purely hypothetical, what we are discussing, right? Only for academic purposes?"_

 _"_ _Of course, sir," Riddle said quickly._

 _"_ _But keep it quiet, will you? What we have talked about… it's not something people would like to know, us having chatted about Horcruxes. At Hogwarts it is a banned subject – Dumbledore is particularly fierce about it."_

 _"_ _I won't say a word," Riddle said and left through the door with a face covered with unrestrained happiness._

Harry met Slughorn's eyes, who looked as though he was still waiting for something. He then looked at Ginny, who was pale as a ghost and sitting stiffly.

"Did you get it, Harry?" Bill asked, seeing his shocked face.

"Yeah," Harry tried to say, but it came out as a hoarse whisper. "He made seven."

Bill's jaw dropped. "A-Are you certain?"

"Now I am, yes. The greatest magical number," Harry said and looked back at Slughorn, who looked ill. "Is there anything else that you know that can possibly help us?"

Slughorn hesitated. "I… I do not know a lot… but I remember it was said that he tried to apply for a position as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, but when he was refused, he went ahead to Borgin and Burkes."

"Borgin and Burkes?" Harry repeated, "aren't those the ones who buy and sell questionable and dark artefacts in Knockturn Alley?"

Slughorn and Bill nodded. "Knowing You-Know-Who I suspect he used that opportunity well.

"He did," Harry said, and then threw a look at Slughorn. "Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Slughorn. It's been a vital piece of information – and don't worry; the information will be restricted to Bill and Ginny's siblings and parents, and my godfather, Sirius Black."

Slughorn looked alarmed for a moment, before his composure relaxed. "Yes, he's innocent, that's it," he muttered. "Good. I am afraid I must leave now. I've got some important business to attend to." He stood and left the room in a hurry.

"That went rather well, I think," Bill said. "Ginny, are you alright?"

"I will be. Just the thought that he made seven..." she muttered quietly and met Harry's gaze. "The diary and you. Two down. Your dad's notes made suggestions of others, didn't it? I think you are more similar to You-Know-Who than you like, Harry. He also considered Hogwarts his first real home. That's probably why he applied, and that's why James Potter pointed out old artefacts from the Four Founders, isn't it?"

"The locket," Harry muttered, "he mentioned a locket that Merope Gaunt possessed. A heirloom from Salazar Slytherin, I think."

"How did he learn of that?" Bill asked with amazement.

"No idea. He did mention visiting Borgin and Burkes, and learned that Riddle had visited some avid collector of magical antiquities by name of Hebizah Smith or whatever she was called, who died shortly after, her house-elf taking the blame for having poisoned her. According to Mr. Burke, she bought a golden locket with a silver snake from the shop, that dad suspected was the same that Merope sold to them years before."

"I doubt that Borgin or Burke would have been very forthcoming with information, if it really was Slytherin's locket," Bill said contemplatingly.

"What about that robbery with that Smith-lady?" Ginny asked, finally starting to regain some colour. "James had found an old newspaper article where it was mentioned very vaguely that two artefacts were unexplainably gone, didn't he, Harry?"

Harry thought for a while, trying to remember the article. "Yes, there was a mention of a locket. And a cup. A goblet of sorts, engraved with a badger."

"Helga Hufflepuff's cup," Bill muttered.

"Yes, that's what dad thought too. He wrote that it's engraved with a badger and has two handles, but how in the world he knows that, I don't even dare to guess. Either he must've been very good with convincing people, or he was a legilimens. But we can't find any clues about him being a legilimens at Potter Manor."

"No, there wasn't much about it in the vault, either, and what was there, didn't appear to have been used in a very, very long time," Bill said. He sighed and leaned against his knees. "I'm willing to bet anything that Riddle did something with that poor elf and stole the cup and the locket. He knew his relation to Slytherin – he knew that when he made the diary a Horcrux. But as you said, Ginny, Hogwarts having been his first home plays a vital role in this, I think. Why else would he be interested in a cup from Helga Hufflepuff? Slytherins don't usually think very highly of Hufflepuffs."

"The question now is; where are they? Where would Voldemort have hid these things?"

"Somewhere safe," Ginny muttered. She looked a little unwell, having curled up in the seat beside Harry.

"Are you feeling bad, Gin? Should we go home, perhaps?"

"Could we? I mean, we got what we needed from Slughorn," she said.

"Of course we can. Come on." He took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

The three of them separated by the fireplace; Bill was going to the Burrow to pack before leaving for Egypt, and Harry and Ginny went back to Potter Palace. Ginny instantly fell asleep on the garden sofa.


	8. Shapeshifting

The next morning Ginny woke feeling much better, and was back to her lively self. After breakfast the two of them headed out in the garden to test their animagus forms. Harry tried his wings for the first time. It felt so natural; as if he had known all the time how to adjust to the air currents and how to change direction rapidly. He even tested his hunting skills, but the first attempts came out of it empty-handed before he caught a grouse. He let it go again after having caught it, and then headed on to find Ginny, who was less merciful, and was playing with a wood mouse when he arrived.

 _That much for empathic abilities, Ginny,_ he declared dryly.

She merely glared at him and let the wood mouse run off.

After another couple of hours Harry decided to fly down to the village, and found a secluded alleyway to transform. The town was small and rather quiet, especially in the middle of the day. There were only a handful of housewives doing some shopping with their friends.

Harry moved quickly past the small houses, each with their own patches of lawn and flower boxes, but unlike Privet Drive, each house was totally different. Some even looked to be from a different period of time than the others.

The Black Unicorn Inn was not much better than The Leaky Cauldron. It was just as dusty, and the chairs just as wobbly, but while Tom was kind and welcoming, the owner of The Black Unicorn looked as if he detested everyone who stepped inside his door.

Finding Sirius inside was rather easy; he was the only one except the barman in the room. He turned when the door slammed shut, and beamed widely at Harry, who smiled in return and made his way over.

"Hello! How are you?" Harry asked politely as he sat.

"I'm very good! Thanks to you," Sirius smiled. He looked much more alive than he had in Little Whinging, or even at the trial, and had tidied up rather nicely. He still looked unhealthy, though, but Harry figured that it would take some time to get back to proper health and strength.

"Great." Harry pulled out his wand, causing Sirius to narrow his eyes, but before he got to say anything Harry had put up some privacy charms that he had found in a book at Potter Palace. He didn't want anyone overhearing, accidentally or on purpose, what he was about to confide in Sirius.

"You shouldn't have done that, Harry," Sirius said with alarm, "you'll be expelled!"

"No, I won't," Harry replied. "I will explain, but I have to start from the beginning. Have you heard about what happened at Hogwarts last year?"

"Only bits and pieces. Something about students being petrified…"

"Yes." Harry then explained to Sirius everything that had happened with the Chamber of Secrets, and then how his and Ginny's soulbond had formed. Sirius was shocked to silence by the time Harry got to explain about his abilities.

"That's how you trusted me so easily? You read my mind?" Sirius exclaimed in horror.

"I only did it to make sure I could trust you! You try having someone kill you and then have a dog with odd magic appear on the street a month later, who turned out to be a very shabby-looking wizard!" Harry retorted hotly, glowering at Sirius.

Sirius sagged in defeat. "Sorry. I just don't want my thoughts being read."

"I understand that, and I wouldn't violate people's privacy. Only, I'm glad I could." Then he told Sirius about how he and Ginny had learned of Dumbledore's plan, how Harry had blackmailed Fudge into giving Sirius a trial, to which Sirius grinned like a madman, and how Bill helped them understanding the bond and detecting the Horcrux in Harry.

"Bill's been in contact with Slughorn, a professor who we believe might have taught Riddle, and see if he might know anything about Riddle's affairs at Hogwarts. He was his head of house, so Mr. Weasley reckoned he'd know at least something. Hopefully enough to give us more clue to work on," Harry told him.

By the time he told Sirius about his father's notebook, the man was in shock. "That bugger did that without telling me! I could've helped! Damn, I want to help now! Just tell me what I can do, and I'll do it. I have a lot of contacts, you know, and I know how to get information out of people."

"There isn't much yet," Harry informed him, "but if you encounter Dumbledore, you've got to be careful; Bill reckons he can do occlumency – that is mind-reading."

"Yes, I've heard about occlumency. I'll be careful, I promise." Sirius nodded solemnly. "Is there anything more I should know? For instance, why no owl from the Ministry have arrived yet?" He raised a brow at Harry.

"When our soulbond was completed Ginny and I were granted majority, and the Trace disappeared. What's more, it married us," Harry said, watching Sirius apprehensively for his reaction.

"What? Married?" His mouth dropped open as he stared at Harry with scepticism. "Tell me you're joking! Please tell me you're not serious."

"I'm sorry," Harry said. "You can even try to call Ginny by her maiden name, but you can't say it."

Sirius ran his fingers through his long hair and sighed. "Well, congratulations, then, I suppose. How do your in-laws take it?"

"Surprisingly well, actually. They've been very supportive once we explained the bond. I'm glad, because I don't want to fight family while fighting Dumbledore and against Voldemort's return," Harry said.

"Good. You've got my support too."

"Where are you living at the moment, Sirius? Do you have a house somewhere?"

"I do, but I hate it, so I live with Remus now," Sirius explained.

"That's the fellow at the trial, isn't it?" Sirius nodded. "What's up with him? Does he have a magical illness or something? I saw he was connected to an animal, but at the time I wasn't sure what it was. Do you know?"

Sirius paled more and more for each word Harry spoke, and looked a little nervous. "That's not my secret to tell. I can tell you that he is one of the kindest, smartest and trustworthy people around, but I can't tell you that. You will have to ask him, Harry."

"So I can trust him?"

"Yes, you can. Him and I – and the rat, were your dad's closest friends," Sirius explained.

"Anyway, if you do ever need it, the Potters will always have a room for you," Harry said with a faint smile.

Sirius' face cracked into a beam, but his eyes sparkled with sadness. "You don't know how right you are. The Potters took me in after my family disowned me when I was sixteen. I lived with James and your grandparents until I graduated and got my own place to live at, but came by for dinner every other Sunday. They were fantastic people, both your grandparents and your parents. I'm inclined to believe that you and… Ginny, was it? That you will continue their legacy."

Harry felt moved. He stared at Sirius mutely for a long time before he released a shaky breath. "Just send an owl if you need a home, Sirius. Alright?"

"I will. Thank you. I might have to take you up on your offer before you expect to; Remus has gotten a new job, so he'll move. The rental contract ends within a couple of weeks," Sirius said. Harry got the feeling that there was more to it, that Sirius was keeping a secret, but he didn't pry into it.

"Alright. So dad told you about Potter Palace?" Harry asked.

"I spent a lot of my childhood there. That's where your dad grew up."

"It probably wasn't protected then, was it?"

"It wasn't until the war began in earnest that your grandfather added protections on it," Sirius said.

"Do you remember where it is?" Harry watched with anticipation, remembering the nature of the Posterus Charm.

A small nod was all that Harry needed. The questions in his mind started spinning, and it was only his own self-control that kept him from blurting out all of them at the same time. Sirius kept him busy over the next few hours, telling stories about his, James, Remus and Peter's adventures at Hogwarts, about James' obsession with Lily, and how the two ended up together. Harry clung to every word of it; other than the photo album and his father's cloak he had nothing to connect him with his parents – Aunt Petunia didn't count.

"Ginny asked me to invite you for dinner. Perhaps you'd do us the honour?" Harry smiled hopefully at him.

"I'd love to! Are we leaving now?" he asked, already half standing in eagerness.

"I suppose." He stood too, and they left, Sirius leaving a few sickles on the counter for his butterbeer. They walked back to the Palace, and as it turned out, Sirius had no problems with finding it. They entered the property through the eastern end, which was in the bottom of the garden.

Sirius marvelled and beamed at the sight of the building, recognition evident in his face.

"I never thought I'd come back here again," he said as they walked through the sun-lit garden to the flagstone area by the backside door.

Garden chairs, a small sofa and a table were gathered on the flagstones, and Ginny lay stretched out in her cat form on the sofa. Harry ran his fingers through her soft fur, causing her eyes to blink open. A pair of brown, feline eyes looked at him as she stretched her body and transformed.

Beside Harry, Sirius' eyes widened in surprise. "My, my! Am I to guess that you're an animagus too, Harry?" he sent him a raised eyebrow, but Harry merely grinned in response.

Ginny yawned and sat up, her eyes falling upon Sirius. She stood immediately, holding her hand out politely. "Welcome to our home, Mr. Black," she said with a kind smile.

"Thank you. It's nice to be back. I have say it looks rather nice. I would not have expected the garden to look this good after years of neglect."

"It didn't," Ginny said. "We worked long hours to turn it into this paradise."

"I don't doubt it. I see you've even brought back your grandmother's herb garden, Harry?" Sirius shaded his eyes from the sun as he studied the area surrounded by accurately placed round rocks, where the magical herbs grew.

Harry nodded and dumped down into the sofa. Ginny sat down so close that their hips touched, and Harry made himself more comfortable by placing an arm around her.

"I'm really tempted to ask, Harry; what animagus are you?"

"An eagle," he replied before turning to Ginny. "Did you find any others? I didn't pay attention."

Sirius watched curiously at Harry's cryptic comment, but found no sense in it.

"Yeah, I did, but you're going to laugh," she replied, a blush creeping into her face.

"No, I won't. What's it?"

 _A firefly,_ she muttered, feeling a little ashamed.

 _That's not silly at all!_ Harry replied indignantly. _You know they mean guidance, illumination and inspiration, not to mention hope, and you are all of those things – at least for me._

Ginny couldn't help smiling at the passion in his voice, and she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Then that's all that matters."

"Alright," sounded Sirius' voice, "that was not at all cryptic."

"We didn't expect you to understand, Mr. Black. It was between Harry and myself, and it tends to become rather cryptic. We've heard it from my brothers as well," Ginny said.

 _Why so formal?_ Harry inquired, watching her as she drew her wand and did a wand-making charm for one of the flowers in the pot beside the sofa.

 _I don't trust him. Or rather, I don't trust him with you. He seems really funny and nice, and everything, but I know that you hoped for a parental figure rather than another friend, but I'm not sure if he's capable of meeting that requirement. That's why I don't trust him._

Harry blinked. _Really? I suppose we will have to wait and see, then. We don't know him very well yet._

 _No,_ she agreed.

They spent another couple of hours talking to Sirius out in the garden before they headed inside. Sirius watched in amazement as Harry and Ginny bustled around the kitchen, preparing dinner with their wands waving everywhere.

"You are aware of that you are only thirteen and twelve, right?" he commented, "most your age won't know all those spell that you're using, and most certainly won't be able to use them wordlessly, like you do, Harry."

Harry paused and looked at him with a mildly surprised look. "I do? I don't even notice. Thanks for telling. The bond has made it much easier to learn magic for the both of us, though, so I suppose that explains it."

"You shouldn't be surprised, Harry," Ginny said, "after all, you showed Dumbledore his own arse wandlessly at the Burrow."

Harry flushed red, "Well, I… that was kind of accidental, Ginny."

"No, it wasn't. You knew fully well what you're doing, and don't you dare think any different, because I am in your mind all the time," she replied firmly as she banished the dirty frying pan into the sink, "and about your question, Mr. Black; kids our age shouldn't really be married or forced to fight one of the darkest wizards of all time."

"No, I suppose not." He watched then for another few moments. "You know, I'd offer to help you, but my skills with household charms is not really good."

"It's alright, Sirius," Harry assured him, "we don't expect guests to help."

So, in the meantime Sirius had a look around the house, reminiscing of the time he lived there. That was how he encountered the book on Shapeshifters on the table in the drawing room. He brought it into the kitchen.

"Is it research for school, or just curiosity?" he asked, showing Harry and Ginny the book.

"Well, we think that it is likely that we are shapeshifters, due to the bond. Either that, or just animagi, but we already know that Ginny is a Shapeshifter," Harry said.

Sirius looked up in curiosity. "Really? How many forms have you got, Mrs. Potter?"

"I've discovered two so far," she said and casually tapped the vegetable knife to have it chop onions. Her skills on non-verbal magic was not very good yet, so she had to try several times before she managed to get it to cut the onion into evenly sized parts.

"You think you're one too, Harry?"

"Probably. Ginny thinks I'd be a wolf, a deer or a horse," Harry replied.

"I can see the wolf, I think. Your father was a stag animagus, for your information." Sirius smiled at seeing Harry's interested look. "The horse… well… it does make sense. See, if you were a bovine animal instead if an equine, you'd be more likely to be offensive rather than defensive, meaning you would attack first, which I really can't see you doing, from what I've heard about your adventures at Hogwarts. You only attack for defense, don't you? Let's not forget that they have to be brave, since muggles used them in wars – I paid attention during Muggle Studies too!"

Ginny smiled smugly at Harry. "See, I told you it made sense for you to be a horse; the subject of freedom has followed you since the prophecy was made, hasn't it? And they're gentle and warm and friendly as long as you treat them respectfully and properly, which is just like you."

"I thought they represented strength and speed too?" Sirius wondered.

"Well, you haven't seen Harry duel yet, Mr. Black. Or fly, for the matter. It'd tell you all you need to know," Ginny said and beamed happily at Harry. "You should give it a try. I bet you two galleons, Mr. Black, that Harry's second form is a horse," she said convinced and watched him with expectation.

Sirius let out a dog-like barking laughter. "Deal! I'm more inclined to the wolf, though!"

"That's only because you're a dog, yourself," Harry replied, but then saw Ginny's look. "Now?"

She nodded, and Harry found himself giving in, closed his eyes and gathering his magic for a transformation. He felt his body shift to a four-legged creature which was rather low, and had an incredible sense of smell, he noticed. It was only for a blink of an eye, before he changed again. He grew taller, and his feet changed. His head and neck grew longer, too.

He opened his eyes, and saw Ginny in front of him, peering up at him with a confused look. She seemed far shorter – or rather, he was far taller. Then she smiled smugly.

"I told you, Mr. Black! He's a horse!"

"You said his second form, Mrs. Potter," Sirius replied with a mischievous grin; "he was a wolf first, and then he turned into a horse! I win!"

 _What?_ Harry asked, looking at Ginny for an explanation.

"You turned into a wolf first, Harry. I'm sure you felt it." She showed him a mental picture of a mainly white wolf with large grey and dark grey dorsal markings.

Harry turned his head to look at himself. He was a rather large horse, judging by his own perception of a horse, and of a dark bay coat, but with his lack of experience, he couldn't say much else about it. He turned and twisted to test out his new-found form, and was surprised by the flexibility of such a large animal.

In front of him, Ginny dug out their money pouch and flicked two golden coins through the air to Sirius before she muttered a spell and waved her wand, causing dinner plates to fly out and set the table.

Harry changed back, deciding to explore his new forms later, and helped Ginny finish dinner. Over the meal Sirius told them a lot of stories from his life, and Harry and Ginny told about their own experiences. However, Harry was revolted by how Sirius and his father had bullied Snape. Having been bullied himself, he let his distaste for their behaviour be heard rather vocally.

"We were kids, Harry! We thought that we were on top of the world and that we always knew best!"

"So you bullied someone for what reason? I don't care if it's the slimy Snape; it's the fact that you bullied others that bothers me!" Harry declared, and would have stood, had not Ginny taken his arm and kept him firmly planted in his seat.

"That is enough, Harry! I'm sure that Sirius thinks better of it now that he is well past thirty years old and an adult." But Harry didn't miss the stern, reprimanding look she gave Sirius, neither could he ignore the stern words she told him after pulling him aside before departure.

"You're Harry's godfather, Mr. Black. It gives you certain responsibilities, no matter if Harry is of majority and as independent as twenty-year-old. What he's missed all his life was a father figure. That's what he was hoping for, and wishing for since he was left on the Dursleys' doorstep. You really got his hopes up when you offered him to move in with you It is _my_ Harry you're dealing with, and if you hurt him, I'll never let you see him again. Clear?"

Sirius appeared unsettled by her gaze, but he nodded quickly. "As water, Mrs. Potter," he said respectfully.


	9. Fireflies

The next morning the Wizarding World was woken to pictures of large, cloaked humanoid creatures on the front page of the _Daily Prophet_.

MAN-HUNT FOR PETTIGREW – DEMENTORS STATIONED AT HOGWARTS!

"Dementors?" Harry wondered, "what are dementors?"

"No idea," Ginny said. Resolutely, she tracked the familiar way to the library, with Harry following right behind, his nose in the _Prophet_ , skimming through the article.

"Those are the ones that Sirius talked about, aren't they? They guard Azkaban – he said they bring forth the worst memories one have. That they such away all the good feelings and all the good memories." Harry shivered with horror as he recalled the horrid tales that Sirius had told of Azkaban and the morbid prison guards.

Ginny was scouring the shelves for an appropriate book, and after a few minutes pulled down a book named _Evilest Kreatures on the Britannic Islands_. It was rather dusty and had a solid black cover except for the letters naming the title and the author.

While Harry peered over her shoulder, the _Prophet_ still in hand, she flicked through the book until she found a excerpt named _The Dementor – Vanquishers of happiness._

 _The Dementor is considered of the Darkest Kreature acknowledged on the Britannic Isles. Known to be immortale, it feeds on happiness and good thoughts of Humans. It will be surrounded by most unnatural coldness; one shall feel its presence before it is seen. If given an opportunity, it will not hesitate to suck out thy Soul and leave behind thy body as an empty shell. It is a punishment far wickeder than Death. A soul consumede by a Dementor will not pass on, but be trapped for Eternity. It will come no good from attacking a Dementor, nor will you be able to. Thy only defence is the Patronus Charm. It will forme a shielde that will focus thine happy thoughts and repel the Dementor._

"After reading that, I want to learn that charm," Harry declared. "Especially if they're going to be at Hogwarts. What in the world is Dumbledore thinking?" He let out an involuntary growl, which earned him a look from Ginny.

"We better see if we can find a better description of the Patronus Charm, then," she said and stuffed the book back on its shelf.

By mid morning Ron, Hermione, Fred and George arrived for a visit. Bill had returned to Egypt for work, and Ron and the twins were keen on doing some flying, but Harry and Ginny protested. They were practicing the Patronus Charm, which, so far only caused wisps of silver, to their frustration, no matter how hard they focussed on their selected happy memory.

"Come on; it does no good practicing until you get frustrated if you're going to think happy thoughts," Ron reasoned, which won them over. They played for an hour or two until lunch, when Mrs. Weasley and Percy arrived.

Percy, who hadn't seen the property before, made big eyes, and immediately wanted to set out to explore the whole estate, as uncharacteristic as it was. Ron had betted on him doing like Hermione; heading for the library first thing, so he was rather surprised, and even more so when Fred and George for once agreed with Percy.

"Did you figure out if you were a natural Animagus or a Shapeshifter, Harry?" Hermione asked when she caught sight of the book in the kitchen, where Sirius had left it the evening before.

Mrs. Weasley's attention turned to Harry, and Fred and George looked up with hope, and not just a little bit of glee. Harry thought about all the possibilities they would think of if he – or even better, they, were Animagi.

"Yes, I'm a Shapeshifter. And Ginny is too," Harry said with a wide smile.

"What forms are you?" Ron immediately burst out.

"You should register, Harry," Percy said, "the punishment would be very harsh if you didn't."

Harry looked at him, and actually saw a hint of concern in Percy's eyes. "There is no system for registering Shapeshifters – at least that I know of, but I could register one of my forms as an Animagus. It would be of an advantage to have a form to hide in if you've got Voldemort out for your head, wouldn't it."

Percy looked as though he was about to argue, but then nodded in agreement. "You too, Ginevra," he said.

"I will, as long as you stop calling me Ginevra," she replied firmly, glaring at him.

After lunch everyone headed outside. It was only an hour later when they realized how big the property really was when they followed Harry's map along the outer edges of the property. The Palace and the garden only covered a fraction of it, and on the northern parts a handful of cattle, some dozen sheep and some pigs were wandering about, and it appeared to them all what as a mystery how those had appeared on the property, when the files from Gringotts never mentioned anything about animals.

"I think," Percy began, "that animals are not included in Fidelius charms or the like, so they've probably escaped from their original homes and wandered through the barriers, where their owners couldn't find them."

"If you think about it," Hermione said, "it does make sense. They wouldn't find a need to leave, since it's really lush here."

"What about in winter, then?" Ron replied. "I doubt it's this lush here in winter too?"

Hermione hesitated. "I don't know. But the winters in Devon are mild, aren't they? There isn't much snow falling, at least not here by the coast, right? They'd be able to find enough to get through winter, I suppose."

"What are you going to do with them, Harry?" Fred asked, watching the short-legged, black cattle bustling around with their calves.

"Err…" Harry hesitated and looked at Ginny. "Suppose we'll have to figure out whose they are. And the sheep and the pigs too. I mean, if no-one wants them, I've got no problems with having them here, but someone might miss them."

The area did have some rather nice fields separated by rows of trees and brambles. It appeared as if there had been a farm here once, but they found no buildings to confirm it. Instead, they found a variety of magical creatures settled in; gnomes, jarveys and knarls, jobberknolls, a bowtruckle, and there was even an infestion of fairies in one of the larger trees.

Once they entered the forest on the south-eastern end, they realized that it was far bigger than it appeared to be on the map, and Harry declared after a while that they were now outside of the wards. This in turn had Mrs. Weasley urge them all back towards the Palace.

"Wait!" Ron, who brought up the rear of the group, paused at the outside of a small clearing.

"What is it, Ron?" Ginny asked, picking up his emotions as she usually did. It made her slightly unsettled.

"I heard something! Over there!" He pointed towards the other end of the clearing, where the light didn't reach through the canopy, and some thick bushes grew.

There was some rustling, and Harry froze, trying to see whatever it was hiding in there. For all he knew, it could be anything from a niffler to a dark wizard.

"What kind of magic is it, Harry?" Ginny asked, drawing her wand when she saw him do it.

"It's potentially harmful – wait a minute. I've seen that before!" he exclaimed as it hit him. The magic was nearly identical as that belonging to the campitor he had seen in Gringott's tunnels.

"Then why doesn't it smoke?" Ginny inquired, picking up on his trail of thoughts. "Why is there no fire? It should be pretty visible."

Curious, but wary, Harry held his wand raised as he stepped closer, making a wide circle around the source in attempt to see it from a different angle. His heart was pounding a hundred times a minute as he recalled Bill's description of its abilities. The odd thing was that he felt no heat. He saw no flames. Perhaps he was being tricked?

When he reached the opposite side of the bushes, he spotted it; the large, black horse lay quietly in the bushes, the fire that the one in Gringotts had over its body was gone, and its eyes were closed. Its flanks were raising and sinking heavily.

"There's something wrong with it, Harry," Ginny declared softly. Harry heard her well enough, despite the many metres that separated them.

"Figures," Harry muttered and muttered a spell that he'd read in one of the books of basic healing in the library. "Do you remember that disease you read up on concerning unicorns, Gin?" Harry asked as he approached the beast tentatively.

"About the Cerulean Fever?"

"Yes – ouch!" He jumped back when a flash of electricity jumped from the black, sweaty coat. Grabbing a pair of leaves he used them as gloves to spread one of the horse's eyelids. The iris and the pupil were bright azure blue, confirming Harry's suspicions. "That's it, Gin!"

"It is? Then what the hell are you waiting for? You're not letting it die, are you?"

Harry didn't even have to answer it. "We'll bring it back home."

While Mrs. Weasley, Percy, Fred, George, Hermione and Ron were left in the dark, Harry used the locomotor charm and jogged after it. Ginny followed in her cat form, not being quite as fast as Harry, who had longer legs. The rest of the group leaped, stumbled and ran after them, Fred and George in the lead, with Ron right behind.

Back at the Palace, Harry left the campitor outside and sprinted inside. Ginny was ahead of him, having run straight towards the library. He caught up with her as she pulled the required book out of the shelf on shelf number eight, and thus sliding down the ladder, landing as easy as her Shapeshifter form. Still out of breath from running, she dropped the book on the table and hastily flicked through it until she found what she was looking for.

"There."

Then they hurried on to the potions lab, not even pausing to explain to Ron and the twins, who had reached the library. Hermione and Percy were just down the hallway, and followed in a wheezing run to the lab.

Harry and Ginny took full advantage of their bond as they rushed to assemble the potions kit and ingredients required.

"Ginny, what is going on?" Hermione demanded, leaning against the desk in attempt to catch her breath.

"Quiet, Hermione; we've got less than an hour left," Ginny muttered distantly as she confidently chopped roots of Winterbite into thin slices.

"But – " Ron's hand on her shoulder stopped her from finishing the question. Together with the twins and Percy they watched Harry and Ginny attentively.

Neither Harry nor Ginny spoke a word, and yet they seemed to know exactly what the other was doing. Harry measured and added the draught of chamomile while Ginny had her back turned, but she still turned and stirred six times counter-clockwise before adding two measures of powderized bezoar and the leeches in quick succession before heating the potion.

Mrs. Weasley, having fallen so far behind, did not appear before Harry and Ginny put the cauldron away from heat.

"Syringe, Harry," Ginny muttered. "It's a horse – glasses won't work."

"Right." He pulled out his wand and tried to recall the correct spell. Instead he resorted to just manipulating his own magic, like he had done while fighting Dumbledore. He didn't have time to look it up anyway.

It turned up slightly too large, but it didn't matter. He filled the required amount inside it and grabbed his dragon-hide gloves before they speeded out of the room. They passed Mrs. Weasley on the landing of second floor, but didn't pause to answer her shouts about demanding an explanation.

The campitor looked even worse now. It was quivering and sweating profusely, its nostrils flared and breathing heavily as it struggled with its illness. Ginny, having snatched her dragon hide gloves from beside the flowerbeds, knelt beside the large creature, whose head was nearly a metre long, and spread its eyelids carefully to check the colour.

"It's more intense now, Harry," she said.

Without answering, he poked the syringe into the campitor's mouth, as far back towards the throat as he could, and pushed. It tried to protest, but with the fever, it was too weak, so it conceded and swallowed, within minutes falling into a sleep.

Harry sat back with a sigh. Ginny moved over and hugged him tightly.

"Only time will tell if it makes it," she muttered into his ear.

"Harry? Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley arrived first, now looking more concerned than annoyed at the moment. "What happened?"

Harry looked at her, and then at her children who exited the Palace along with Hermione. "I'll tell you," he said and motioned for them to take seats at the flagstone patch.

Ginny found hers on his lap in a chair, and the twins shared the sofa with Hermione and Percy while Ron and Mrs. Weasley took another two chairs. They all watched the Potters with confusion, worry and expectation.

"Do anyone know what kind of a creature this is?" Harry gestured towards the campitor.

Everyone shook their heads, but Hermione spoke up.

"You said it was potentially harmful, though. Why would you help something that is potentially harmful?"

Harry studied her closely. "You mean I should have let it die when I knew how to save it? Whatever did it do to me to deserve that?"

Hermione flushed and looked shameful.

"I understand your point of view, though. This is a creature called a campitor. I don't know too much about it, but Gringotts have one that protects some of the deepest vaults. This is because it gives off a lethal heat that will kill you in short time. Usually, its body is covered with flames, and its eyes will appear brown, like an ordinary horse. However, this one has the Cerulean Fever, which is lethal. It's an equine-related magical illness, which has been observed in unicorns – right, Gin?"

Ginny nodded and watched Hermione almost bursting with questions. It was obviously a subject less known to her.

"How did you know about the fever?" she asked. "Are there books here about it?"

"Yes," Ginny said, "We've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what our library contains, so we can find it quickly if we need it, and that really became in handy today."

"But how did you recognize it?" it was Percy who asked. He eyed the campitor with curiousity. "I mean, what are the symptoms? How did you know it was that one exactly."

"It's easier to spot on unicorns, because they're white, but if you look at the hooves, you can see a faint blue hue right where it meets the skin. That's what I noticed first," Harry explained patiently. "And then I checked its eyes; they are cerulean blue – thus the name of the disease. Its intensity reveals how bad it is. And when I touched it, I got a shock of electricity, which is another symptom of the illness."

"But now you have a dark creature on your property. It's not safe – " Mrs. Weasley began, looking distressedly from the campitor to Harry and Ginny.

"They are rated class five with the Ministry, but I think that's really undeserving, at least according to what Bill said, and what we saw of the campitor in Gringotts. It was only patrolling the area and giving off lots of heat to discourage people from approaching. It did not try to attack before Bill demonstrated it when we were leaving by attacking it with spells," Ginny told them, "its hide is resistant towards most magic, so it didn't harm it, but it charged on us, and its heat intensified in volumes. It even shot fire at us."

"Couldn't you just use a shield charm or a cooling charm or something?" Percy asked.

"Something as simple as that won't work," Harry declared with a faint smile.

"I must say I don't feel entirely comfortable knowing that such a _potentially_ dangerous beast is staying here with you," Mrs. Weasley declared indignantly.

"We won't provoke it! Merlin, mum! We know how to avoid provoking it, and we're not stupid!" Ginny said.

"I know you aren't, dear. Very well, just be careful." She threw the campitor another wary look.

Mrs. Weasley settled down to relax in a garden chair while Percy found himself a book from the library while Harry, Ginny, Ron, Fred and George played Quidditch. Ron even got Hermione on the broom after a lot of convincing. He eventually won the argument by claiming it might do the difference between success and failure one day, for instance if they were attacked by one of Voldemort's followers.

When they returned from their small match, they found Percy, unsurprisingly engorged in his book, and Mrs. Weasley for once relaxing in a chair. The campitor now had its eyes open and its ears flickering to catch any sounds around it. Before they headed in to make dinner, Harry filled a bucket of water which he placed by the campitor's head.

At least it looked interested, and with somewhat of a combat lifted its head enough to get the muzzle into the bucket. Harry had to do the refilling charm twice before it let its head back down on the ground, content, and Harry could go inside. Mrs. Weasley followed and kindly offered to help cooking.

Ginny thought she rather expected them to hand it all over to her and was surprised when told to relax and watch. Mrs. Weasley watched with no little amount of surprise as Harry and Ginny began cooking as usual.

Just as Ginny was about to drop the egg yolk into the sauce of the veal fricassee, Mr. Weasley entered the kitchen with a rather large smile.

"What is this?" he said and looked at Mrs. Weasley with mock surprise, "has Molly Weasley been dismissed from the kitchen?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled lovingly at him. "As it turns out, between these two, I'm superfluous," she declared.

"Well, you will never be superfluous to me," Mr. Weasley said with a beam and sat down beside her, giving her a hug and a kiss.

Ron, who entered with a loudly rumbling stomach, made vomiting gestures behind their backs, causing Harry and Ginny to break into laughter.

"It's almost done, Ron. We'll be eating outside," Ginny said. "Could you please help set the table?"

Ron nodded and brought the stack of dinner plates and cutlery outside. Mrs. Weasley, wanting to be useful, took the glasses that Harry pulled out of the cupboards and brought them outside.

"You seem to have made yourself quite at home here, Ginny," Mr. Weasley said.

Ginny beamed and moved over to give him a hug. "I have, dad. I love it here – no offense to the Burrow; it's great, but this is a home that I share with Harry."

"I completely understand, pumpkin," Mr. Weasley said. "I felt the same when I moved into the Burrow with your mother. We were a little older than the two of you, though." He smiled fondly at Ginny.

"I know that this is not really what you wanted or hoped for me, but I want to say how very grateful I am for your and mum's support, dad. You two having been so forthcoming about this all is truly a gift. I couldn't ask for anything more," Ginny admitted honestly.

"You have earned it," Mr. Weasley said and kissed Ginny's cheek before ruffling Harry's hair and left the kitchen.

Harry glanced at Ginny, who smiled in return. It was filled with happiness, but also a little bit of sadness of what she had had to leave so early. He pulled her into a comforting hug that lasted long enough for Mrs. Weasley to re-enter in order to get water and pumpkin juice.

During dinner, the campitor didn't move too much, but when people started to scrape their chairs to get up afterwards, it rolled over in a more upright position and attempted to get on its feet, but without success. Ginny re-filled the bucket again, and peered into its eyes.

"They're almost brown again, Harry," she said.

"They are? It worked then?"

"I think so. The flames haven't appeared yet, though, but that might take some more time."

Harry agreed on that, and got help from the Weasleys to bring the dishes inside. He spelled them to wash themselves and brought out the spotted dick that had been preparing while they had dinner.

Afterwards, Ginny made an effort to practice the severing charm to chop some grass for the campitor, which she dumped in a large heap in front of it. Mr. Weasley, who had been watching Ron crush the twins in chess, glanced at her with curiosity, and then at Percy, who was very keen to involve the others in the book he was reading.

A few days later was Ginny's twelfth birthday. Harry surprised her with a present as soon as she woke up. She opened it with a little more dignity than Harry knew Ron to do, and watched with a frown as a sky blue diary fell into her lap, followed by a small box, which opened as it hit the bed. A small, polished gold ring fell out, and Ginny looked at Harry for an explanation.

"The ring is your wedding ring. It's simple; I thought it'd be best that way. You're not so big for blingy stuff anyway," he said, and Ginny nodded in agreement, smiling. "The diary is if you still feel the need to use it. It's perfectly safe; the only magic in it is to increase the number of pages as you write so you never run out, and to prevent anyone other than you from opening it. Oh, and I used magic to carve your name on it."

Ginny turned it frontside up, where her name was written in golden letters: _Ginny Potter_. She looked up at him and beamed before hugging him fiercely. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear. "I do hope you have a ring too?"

Harry smiled and with a mutter and a wave of his wand summoned another ring, similar to hers. "And if it ever gets lost, your name is written in it," Harry said smugly.

Curious, Ginny picked up her own ring and read the curvy letters inside. _My firefly – 4/8/93._ Ginny was the light in his life, and the light that had brought him out of the darkness of his past. She was the light of the future, and so, Harry had chosen _firefly_ as a reference to it and to a nod to her second Shapeshifter form.

"But you will have to let me borrow yours too, so I can engrave that once I decide what to write," she declared happily and slipped out of bed. Harry smiled and shuffled after her to the bathroom.

Half an hour later the two of them was having a nice breakfast outdoors with the campitor, which Ginny had named Triomphe when he'd refused to leave, nibbling weeds between the geraniums. His heat had yet to return, and he seemed to enjoy being petted by Harry or Ginny. But whenever Sirius or the Weasleys were visiting, he gave them a wide berth.

Ginny's birthday was spent relaxing. Mrs. Weasley had wanted to invite them over for dinner, and for this evening only, they decided to take the risk. Dumbledore would pose a much larger threat at Hogwarts anyway.

The birthday party was was small, but Mrs. Weasley had still managed to fill the table with more food than Harry thought possible to eat. Percy once again insisted that they registered as animagi, and Harry and Ginny relented at last, writing a short letter each to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

 _I wish to register as an animagus. My form is a dark brown Golden Eagle with some white feathers on the inner wings. Sincerely, Harry Potter._

Harry smiled smugly at his letter. White markings were as common as yellow eyes amongst his species, but they did ask for specific markings. And other than the common markings, there were none that could tell it was Harry Potter's animagus form. Contrary to Professor McGonagall's, not even his glasses were marked off. Ginny used the same method, just to make Percy and the Ministry satisfied. The family then insisted on seeing them, and also got to see the other forms as long as they promised not to tell.

Harry showed them his wolf, which he had practiced on, and worked on separating from the horse, and then Ginny showed them her firefly.

"I'll be really careful next time I see a firefly," Ron said, "in case it's you."

Ginny beamed at him. "I think becoming animagi are great ways to make an escape. Especially if there are anti-apparition charms on a place. Plus, your senses get enhanced, depending of the abilities of your animal. Ours are several, so we've got a little from all," Ginny explained. It was something that they'd just realized, since the changes happened very gradually. Suddenly, Harry had been able to spot small creatures far away much easier, and Ginny heard the flutter of the wings of a butterfly very easily.

"Could you teach us?" Ron jumped up at once.

Ginny received a look of disapproval from Mrs. Weasley, but replied truthfully: "But you can't ignore that it is a great back-up. At least if you were something as innocent as a firefly."

"It will also make it much easier to get away with mischief," Mrs. Weasley told her, "but I see your point. In case You-Know-Who returns and another war begins… alright, perhaps Mr. Black can teach you; he's visiting you once in a while, isn't he, Harry?"

Harry nodded. Sirius had stepped by every now and then since his first visit, and appeared to have taken Ginny's words to heart. "I'll ask him if he could. But all the references I've seen say it takes a lot of time and a lot of work, so most people just don't bother with it."

"Well, I still want to try!" Ron declared.

"Us too!" Fred and George chorused.

"I suppose I could try too," Hermione admitted. She looked rather uncertain, but intrigued all the same.

"If they are, I want to too," Percy muttered.

Ron, Hermione, Percy, Fred and George each got to borrow one of the several animagus books in the Potter library, and that was why no Quidditch was played that day. In the meantime Harry and Ginny experimented with their potions. They found it really entertaining, but more often than not, it turned out wrong. A few days ago, for instance, they had been forced to send Hedwig to Potage's Cauldron shop for a new cauldron, as the bottom of the old one had emptied away when Ginny wanted to figure out what happened if you added one too many boiled Ashwinder eggs into a blood-replenishing potion – although, only after Harry had cleverly stored some of it.


	10. The Locket

It was mid afternoon when there were some knocks on the door to the potions lab, startling Harry so he almost lost half the box of powdered unicorn horn into the Neutralizer to Dark Curses. He idly wondered if it'd have expanded its potential range from only a few of the mildly dark curses to the the darkest and dangerous ones, or if it would make the potion a poison, but Ginny's call stopped his train of thoughts.

"Enter!"

The door slid open, and Sirius' face appeared. "I've got some grand news for you lot," he said with a rather painful expression that instantly had Ginny worried. Behind him followed an ancient-looking house-elf with bulbous nose and blood-shot eyes and white hair growing out of his ears.

"Oh?" Harry turned off the heat of the potion and turned his attention to Sirius. "What is it, then?"

"Well, I was trying to put Grimmauld Place upside down after it endured my mother, and then I found something that was rather interesting – or the object wasn't really interesting, but Kreacher went ballistic over it!" He pulled out a heavy golden locket adorned with an S-shaped serpent on the lid. The house-elf eyed it with such loathe that Harry thought the locket would wither from his gaze only. "Now, my brother Regulus became a Death Eater, and we all thought that he'd fail some sort of mission and was killed by Voldemort, because he wasn't a very important one. But I managed to get Kreacher to tell me when he started shouting at the locket, that Regulus had asked Kreacher to test some misery potion for Voldemort in a cave somewhere in the North Sea and left behind this locket, protected by this potion and loads of inferi, by the sound of it," Sirius told them impatiently.

"What are inferi?" Ginny wondered.

"Corpses that have been affected by Dark magic to do the bidding of a Dark wizard," Sirius explained hastily. "So Kreacher was called back, and sometime later Regulus asked Kreacher to take him back to the cave. Regulus drinks that horrible potion…" Sirius faltered for a moment, "he drinks it and orders Kreacher to switch locket with a fake, to destroy the real locket, whatever it takes. And to go home without him. Regulus died in that cave. He died for betraying Voldemort." Sirius' eyes were shining with unshed tears as he stared hard at Harry. "Tell me, Harry; what magic is this?"

Harry didn't even have to focus. It was pure darkness. Like the darkness that he and Ginny had found inside him, it was of an evil so horrid that Harry only wanted to get away from it and throw it as far away he possibly could. He stumbled backwards and landed on his butt on the floor.

"Merlin, that's awful!" he exclaimed before he saw Ginny's look of glee. She began to rummage through their storage room and came out with one of the basilisk fangs carefully wrapped in a piece of conjured fabric. She shoved it into Harry's hand and stepped back to watch.

Harry, however, hesitated. He looked at Kreacher, the one they really owed this to. Making a decision, he walked closer to him. "Thank you for sharing your story. I suppose since Regulus asked you to destroy the locket, it's only right that you do so." He handed Kreacher the basilisk fang, who took it with a look of utter disbelief on his face. The beady eyes watched Harry with awe before they found the locket still dangling from Sirius' hand.

Sirius dropped it on the floor in front of Kreacher, and it started to hiss as Kreacher knelt to make the final stab. The locket burst open, and a figure of a young man looking slightly like Sirius rose from the locket.

"You've failed, Kreacher! You are no use as a house-elf! A disgrace to our household and the Black Family! You don't deserve – " the figure vanished as Kreacher drove the fang into the locket. A long scream echoed in the room, and the shattered remains of the locket lay on the floor in front of the old elf, who looked very happy with himself.

Harry, Ginny and Sirius exchanged looks before Ginny began to laugh. It was infectuous, so in short time all three of them were laughing hard. Kreacher was left on the floor, not understanding the fun in the situation.

"Great. Three down. Four to go," Harry said.

"I think I might have an idea of another one too," Sirius said.

"Let's talk about that outside, alright? I'll bring some tea," Ginny said and hurried ahead of them down to the kitchen.

"How are the Weasleys doing?" Sirius asked as he and Harry made their way outside.

"They're doing fine. There's something I wanted to ask you regarding them. Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Percy have been reading up on Animagi in the library all day; they wanted to try to become one, and the only reason Mrs. Weasley agreed was that it made a way of escape should another war begin. She also suggested to ask you if you could help them train?" Harry asked.

Sirius' face widened into a large smile. "Of course I can! Oh, by the way," he turned and looked at Kreacher, who was following right behind, "you are not allowed to tell anybody about Potter Manor, who live here, or anything you learn of while here, Kreacher. Not to anyone, understood?"

Kreacher nodded mutely.

"You know, when I lived here with James, there were two house-elves here, but they were old, so I suppose they've died before you got here," Sirius told Harry.

"Right. There was something I was rather curious about. Kreacher, how come you can enter here? There is supposed to be something similar to a Fidelius Charm on."

Kreacher looked up at Harry with wonder. "Kreacher knows not where this is, so he cannot tell. He only comes with Master Sirius."

"House-elf magic is different from wizard's magic, Harry. Their powers are adapted so they could follow their master's every little whim, so if I ask him to come along to a place protected by the Fidelius Charm, but which I know the location of, he will be able to come, but he won't know how to get there alone, and will be unable to tell where it is, because, like Kreacher said, he simply doesn't know," Sirius explained as they walked down the last set of stairs and exited the Palace. "You know, before I detested Kreacher, and believe me, the feeling was returned. He's so devoted to my mother and her ways that everything else is horrible and bad and cruel, but I think today has changed my whole perspective of him."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that, but I want to tell you something I came across in one of the old books in the library while Ginny and I were trying to get a rough overview. House-elves are what they are made to be. If treated kindly, they follow the ideals of their masters with raw passion. I suspect that your mother was kind to Kreacher, and that's why he aquired her beliefs. There is one exception from the general rule, and that's Dobby. According to what I've read, no house-elf even have the faintest desire to be freed from their master, and instead consider it as a disgrace and a humiliation," Harry said and seated himself comfortably in a chair in the shade of an apple tree while he studied Sirius' contemplating look.

"You know, they really should teach about house-elves during Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts," Sirius pointed out.

"I'll mention it to Professor Kettleburn; he's the one teaching it."

"Still?" he's been going on for a while, hasn't he?"

"I think so."

Ginny appeared with a tray of tea, cups and some small cakes. "Mr. Black, do you know how to do a Patronus?" She asked. "Harry and I have been practicing, but we can't seem to get it right, no matter how hard we try to focus."

Sirius watched her curiously. "Let me see, will you?"

Ginny nodded and pulled out her wand. When she did it, only the usual wisp of silver emerged. She looked at Sirius with hope, who looked very thoughtful.

"Perhaps you should try to think of an even happier memory? It doesn't even have to be a memory, just something that would make you extremely happy, and then you have to let it fill you until you get the shivers," Harry had to smile at his way of explaining, "and then you can do the spell. You must keep the good feeling, though, or it will stop."

"Right. A new memory." Ginny's eyes then fell on Harry. "Well… you make me incredibly happy. Why don't I just think of you?"

"Didn't you before, Mrs. Potter?" Sirius wondered.

"No; I thought it had to be a memory, so I thought of when I got my Hogwarts letter," Ginny said.

"I don't think that's good enough. I'm sorry to say that, but…"

"It's alright, Mr. Black, I don't take it as an offense. Like I said; I'll think of Harry." And she thought. She thought of how happy she was to just have him with her all the time, how happy he made her by smiling, or by holding her, hugging her, and especially kissing her.

"Expecto Patronum!" she declared loudly, and a large mass of silver emerged from her wand. It formed into a familiar shape, and then vanished in a second. Elated, she turned and looked at Harry with joy. "Did you see that? I did it!"

Harry beamed at her. "I saw. Well done! The form was curious, though."

"It was?" she wondered. "What was it? I didn't see."

"It was an eagle, Mrs. Potter," Sirius said with a wide, mischievous grin and looked from Ginny to Harry and back.

"Really?" Ginny commented, and was about to ask when Sirius turned to Harry.

"Your turn, Harry. We want to see yours too. If you can make it." He smiled gleefully and watched Harry expectantly as he pulled his wand.

Like Ginny, Harry thought of her. She represented everything that he had missed since he was a year old: a family, love, one that would always be there for him, and one he could trust with absolutely everything. When he said the spell, the felt such happiness that his eyes prickled and, like Sirius had said, shivers ran down his back.

The mass of silver was large. Larger than Ginny's. But it took the same form; the golden eagle. The barred pattern on its ventral side was unmistakable. He held it alive as long as he could before it dissolved.

"That was very good, Harry," Ginny praised, "but I'm rather curious about why we have the same form. I'm not an eagle Shapeshifter."

"It's because you love him," Sirius said. Both of them looked at him for a further explanation. "Sometimes, patroni take the form associated with a person that you love very much, which is what happened with you two," Sirius said.

"So that might not be my real patronus form?" Ginny asked with a frown of confusion.

"Oh, it's real enough. They can change during one's life, but it doesn't make them any less real," Sirius explained patiently. He reached for a cup and filled it with tea, something that had slipped Ginny's mind when she had arrived. They fell into a comfortable silence for a while. Harry glanced at Kreacher, who was standing, studying his surroundings, behind Sirius' chair.

"Have a seat, Kreacher," Harry said, and Kreacher looked at him with horror. "I'm sure we could get you some tea as well." He then muttered a summoning charm, and another cup came soaring through the air and landed in front of one of the free chairs.

Kreacher hesitated and glanced at Sirius, who looked just as shocked as Kreacher himself, but he didn't say anything, so Kreacher climbed into the chair offered and took the cup gingerly in his hands once Ginny had filled it for him.

"So, what about that Horcrux you thought you knew where was?" Harry pressed on, staring at Sirius, who looked confused for a moment before he caught on.

"Ah, yes! Well, while I was in Azkaban, my cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, avid follower of Voldemort and very close to Voldemort himself, judging by her Dark Mark, occupied a cell two or three further in than mine, and she was considerably more affected by the Dementors. She tended to talk in her sleep, so she chatted about being so highly trusted by Voldemort that she was given one of his prized objects to guard in her vault at Gringotts. He had obviously told her not to let anything happen to it, and that this was very important, so I'm suspecting that this object is one of the Horcruxes."

Harry shot a glance at Kreacher, whose face was covered with revulsion and bafflement. Sirius followed his line of vision and nodded to himself.

"Well, Kreacher always liked cousin Bella and cousin Cissy. Figures it's a great shock to learn that his highly held master Regulus is working against the case Bellatrix is working for." Sirius grinned slyly at Harry.

"So you think there's a Horcrux in the Lestrange vault? Do you know what it is, Mr. Black?" Ginny asked, pulled up her legs and tucked her toes under Harry's thigh.

"A goblet of sorts, I think, but I suppose if we can get Harry inside, he should be able to pick it out rather quickly, judging by his reaction to the locket today," Sirius said. "Since she's a Black by birth, and her and the Lestranges imprisoned for life, I am legally in command of the Lestrange vault, as the last male relative – that is of age, of course. That little scoundrel Draco doesn't count."

"Draco? Draco Malfoy?" Harry exclaimed. "He's related to you?"

"Yes; my cousin Narcissa decided to marry a Death Eater, so there you have a Death Eater spawn at Hogwarts," Sirius growled.

"Better keep an eye on him, then," Ginny said. "Harry, that's almost certain proof that Hufflepuff's cup is a Horcrux!"

"Yeah, I know. Sirius, would you be able to get it?"

"I could, but I don't know what it looks like. I could bring you along, though, Harry."

"I think that's best," Ginny declared. "We never know what odd sort of magic there might be in a Death Eater's vault."

"Do you know anything about the other Horcruxes?" Sirius inquired.

"Not really, but I know that dad was hot on a trail of something in Little Hangleton when he died. I think that's where Tom's mother grew up," Harry said.

"If we don't know exactly where in Little Hangleton, it'll take us a lot of time to cover the area," Ginny said, "why don't you search for magic from the sky, Harry? The eagle can cover the distance much faster than we can by foot."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Harry agreed.

Fifteen minutes later Fred, George, Ron and Hermione came bouncing out the door with a book each. At the sight of Sirius, who none of them had seen before, they skid to a halt.

"Harry…" Hermione began, looking from Sirius to Ginny, then at Harry and at Ron and the twins.

"Oh!" Harry said. "Sirius, this is Hermione Granger, Ron, Fred and George Weasley, and Percy of course," he gestured towards Percy, who walked out of the house in a slower pace than his younger brothers. "Everyone, this is Sirius Black."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Black," Hermione said, and immediately approached him with her hand extended.

"The pleasure is all mine!" Sirius declared honestly.

"Harry told us you're innocent, Mr. Black," George said.

"We were considering pranking Fudge for it," Fred continued.

"But it seems like Harry best us at it!"

"Brilliantly, too!"

Sirius grinned at the two pranksters. "Well, it's good to see someone with a good sense of humour," he said before shaking hands with Ron.

"Can I ask you a question, Mr Black?" Ron said.

"I believe you just did, but go ahead," Sirius beamed at him.

"How come no-one has spotted Peter Pettigrew yet? He's been free all the time, hasn't he? Someone should have noticed."

"That's because he's probably hiding somewhere in his Animagus form, like he did when he tricked your family," Sirius said bitterly.

"About Animagi, did you ask, Harry?" George asked.

"Yeah, he said he would help, didn't you, Sirius?" Harry looked at Sirius, who was now shaking hands with Percy, who congratulated him with being out of Azkaban.

"Yes, I did. I heard you've read up on the basic today?" Sirius looked at the Weasleys and Hermione, all of whom nodded. "Good. So you will have to start with feeling your magic. You have to feel how it runs through your vein, and then be able to focus it towards your inner self. Then your magic will work its… well… magic, and reveal your inner self. Because, unlike Patroni, the Animagus form is the true self, and does not display anyone's love for someone else, or a different animal that plays a major role in one's life."

Sirius continued to instruct them on the subject, while Ginny stood and stretched her body. With half an ear to Sirius, she studied her own magic as she shifted into her cat form and back. She did it again. And again. But the third time she lost some of her focus, and suddenly her body morphed differently.

Harry made wide eyes when he saw the final result, and then he grinned like mad. Ginny, however, sounded like she was panicking, and everybody else just stared back with wide eyes.

 _Harry! What happened!_

"You're a horse, Gin!" Harry replied in a jokingly serious tone.

 _But that isn't right! You're the horse Shapeshifter! I can't be one!_ She exclaimed and twisted her body to look at herself.

"But you are. And if you ask me, I still say the horse fits you better than me."

"Harry, is that her third form?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "And one that I share with her. Gin, I think you're gorgeous; I think it's brilliant!" he said as he studied her. She was smaller than his own form, by quite a bit, but she looked far more graceful and lithe than his. Plus, she was grey in colour, whereas he was bay.

 _But… I don't understand how I did it!_

"By altering your magic a little differently. The distraction helped you. I noticed," Harry told her.

Ginny continued to check out herself, and Harry helpfully sent her an image through their connection before he too changed into his equine form. While Weasleys and Hermione returned to Sirius' lesson, Harry and Ginny had races around the house and mock playfights until Ginny grew hungry. Ending their playtime, they went to cook dinner.

The next week went on in similar fashion, except for on Wednesday, when Sirius and Harry went to the Lestrange vault. It wasn't quite as deep as the Potter Family vault, and didn't have the campitor as a security, but they still had to pass the Ukrainian Ironbelly. Finding the Horcrux was also far easier than Harry anticipated. There were a lot of dark artefacts in the vault, but the Horcrux stood out quite a lot. Harry snatched it up in his eagle form, but barely managed to hold it long enough to get out of the vault because of the Flagrante curse, as Sirius named it.

While Ron, Fred, George, Percy and Hermione eventually started to feel their magic properly, they weren't much closer to transforming, but Sirius said not to worry. It took him, Pettigrew and James three years to manage it.

"Harry! I don't know how I'm supposed to do it!" Ron complained by the second week. "Could you watch my magic and tell me how it's supposed to act, d'you think?"

Harry, who had watched Ginny, and even Sirius transform several times, agreed, and started to study Ron working on his magic.

"It's not the right way, Ron, but I'm not sure how to explain," Harry said slowly as he watched his best mate.

"Could you show me then?" Ron asked frustratedly, and stopped his attempts on transforming to look at him.

Harry hesitated. "I could try, at least," he said, "but I'm not quite sure how to do that either. I've sort of got to help your magic along the way in the right direction. And I don't think that's considered a spell."

"You can manipulate your own magic, Harry; you can do things even without a spell, just by doing that; you don't need a spell," Ginny pointed out for him from where she was watering the flowers.

"I know. One of the benefits of the bond, I suppose," Harry muttered and then met Ron's gaze again. "Here. Take my hands. I don't know if it's going to work, but at least I'll try."

"That's good enough for me," Ron said elatedly and took both of his hands.

Ron then watched Harry closing his eyes, and seconds later felt a different sort of magic enter him. It was Harry's magic, he realized. His own wanted to repel it, but Ron fought it back down, knowing his friend would never hurt him. Harry's magic started to push and pull on Ron's, trying to get it to change in a certain way.

"Follow my lead, Ron. Help me."

Ron closed his eyes automatically, and tried his best to follow Harry's direction at how his magic was manipulated. It was hard, and it was strenous, and soon they hit a barrier that prevented them from moving forward.

"You've got to break it. Push through it; I can't do that for you."

Ron didn't need any further encouraging. He slammed his magic into the barrier, which bent a little. He did another, stronger attack, and then a third. At last, at the fourth attemt, it broke, and suddenly he felt his body begin to morph.

"Keep it going, Ron. Don't let anything distract you," Harry told him.

Ron went on and on, pushing through the transformation. He nearly lost it several times, but gathered himself and went on until he felt that it was complete. Harry's next words were the confirmation he needed.

"Well done, Ron! You did it!"

"I did?" he tried to ask, but it came out as a growl. He opened his eyes; everything was contorted into really odd colours, but what caught his attention, were rustling of leaves in the forest to his far left. Before he knew it, he was crouching low and prowling towards it, trying to make as little sound as possible.

Harry's call from behind, made him freeze.

"Ron, where are you going? This is no time for hunt. Not yet." He was smiling.

It made Ron remember what they were really doing, and he began to twist and turn to look at himself.

"You're a lion, Ron," Ginny said helpfully. She drew out her wand and summoned a mirror from inside.

Indeed, Ron was a lion, albeit a rather young one; his mane was only just starting to grow out. He watched his mirror with satisfaction.

"Ron, I want you to try and turn back by yourself. It should be easier, but I want to watch your magic as you to, to make sure you don't get stuck the first time," Harry said.

Ron felt his hand on his shoulder, and tried to remember the way he had gone with Harry in reverse. It took a long time, but he was proud to say that he turned back completely by himself.

"That was brilliant!" he exclaimed joyously. "Can I do it again?"

"Yeah, go ahead. Do it alone, this time," Harry said and smiled encouragingly.

Ron closed his eyes, and a few seconds later, he was once again the tawny, young lion. He began to leap around and explore his form and the new way of experiencing the world. Harry laughed at his antics and turned to the others, who looked hopefully at him.

"Oh, I suppose I can't escape with helping only one," he said, but couldn't hold his smile away from his face.

As Harry helped each of them through their transformation, Sirius wrestled with Ron, but didn't stand much chance to Ron's larger size and strength. Soon enough, an otter was tumbling around in the lake, diving to the bottom and coming up with rocks or whatever else that Hermione found at the bottom.

Then two foxes with black feet and white-tipped tails bounded around on the area, wrestling each other. The only difference one could spot was that Fred's white patch on the chest was a little bit wider than George's. Percy was content with being last, but soon he too had his eurasian hobby, which was a bird in the Falcon family, according to Percy himself, soaring over the others, watching them with a rather superior look.

Harry, however, was exhausted by the straint of all the difficult magic, and lay down in his wolf form to watch, and ended up falling asleep. Odd colours flickered in front of his vision. Orange, black, white. They mixed and made no sense at all. He could feel grass underneath his feet. Every little twig and stone that might make a sound and reveal his presence. Every sound magnified; the scent of food –

"Harry!"

A rather rough push caused him to roll over on his side, and in annoyance he lashed out with his claws. Wait, what? When did he get claws? Blinking, he sat up and looked around. Ginny sat in front of him, luckily having avoided his swipe, but looking curious with a mixture of worry. Hermione was beside her, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Damn, Harry!" Ron's voice spoke up from behind him, startling him, "you never said you were a tiger too!"

 _What!_ He exclaimed, and was on his feet in a moment.

"He said you were a tiger, Harry. Though how you managed that, is as great a question as my first horse," Ginny said.

 _I was asleep! I didn't do anything intentionally!_ He replied indignantly.

"You must've manipulated your magic unconsciously, then," Ginny replied, "although I don't complain about having a large, cuddly kitty," she beamed and boldly wrapped her arms around his rather large tiger form. He lifted his head to look at her and saw is own brownish orange coat with black stripes and white belly.

Ginny beamed at him and buried her face into the soft fur by his neck, causing him to lay back down and nearly purred with contentment. She giggled and ran her hand over his head.

"I think we should go home now," Percy said, "mum said dinner would be ready at six."

Ron leaped up at the thought of dinner. "Yeah, let's go. See you tomorrow, Harry, Ginny?"

"Yeah," Ginny said. "Tell mum and dad to be over for dinner tomorrow! We've got something to tell you all."

Harry chuffed in agreement.

"Hey, we must have a wrestle fight, Harry! Two large felines against each other!" Ron exclaimed with glee and disappeared inside before Harry could react.

"I think I should go back to Remus' too," Sirius said from his chair near the door, "and Harry; we have to check Little Hangleton before summer ends.

Harry turned back to human form, causing Ginny to land hard on his chest. "Oomf!" he grunted. "Yes, let's do it the day after tomorrow, deal?"

"Sure. Don't expect me over for tomorrow."


	11. Mr Lupin's secret

For once Quidditch was not the first subject of the day when Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Percy bounded through the fireplace, one by one. Percy, to everybody's surprise, was getting more and more integrated in their group for each day, and his pompous attitude had lessened somewhat, causing Fred and George to reduce their teasing about his Head Boy badge by a fraction.

The discussion was about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's reactions when the kids had showed them their animagus forms. There was immense pride for Ron and Percy's forms, and Mr. Weasley had apparently laughed when he was shown Fred and George's, and declared them perfectly fitting. Mrs. Weasley had cooed at Hermione's otter, and then she had asked about how they had managed it so quickly.

"We answered truthfully, of course," Percy said. "Father was really impressed with you, Harry."

Harry smiled vaguely at him. "Thanks."

"What are we doing today?" Hermione asked.

"There's no plan," Harry said, "just relaxing. Too much have been happening this summer anyway; I'd like at least some days of calm before school begins."

"Me too," Ginny agreed.

Within fifteen minutes there were no human in sight at the Palace, and in stead a cluster of oddly matched animals were gathered by the edge of the forest. A red silver tabby sat by the edge of the lake that stretched all the way up to the Palace, and played with one of the stones that the otter had brought up. One of the foxes occasionally tried to push her in, but the cat gave a loud hiss and showed her claws, which sent them hurrying in the other direction and try to jostle the falcon off its branch, but it only flew a little higher. Side by side, like best mates, a tiger and a lion prowled through the forest, familiarizing with their senses and controlling their instincts. When one of them hunched too lowly or tensed to pounce, the other would give its comrade a nudge.

Harry and Ron eventually had their wrestle match, which Ron won just barely. The first time Harry changed into his horse form around the other animals, he instantly got very tense. A scent to the air screamed danger, and he kept looking and listening until Ron came prowling out of the forest.

 _No, that's a friend. That's Ron, he's not harmful,_ Harry told himself, and slowly, the wary feelings disappeared. Soon, he and Ron were playing like the best buddies that they were.

Over dinner at Potter Palace Harry and Ginny told the Weasleys and Hermione about Sirius' discovery and the visit to the Lestrange vault. Harry even showed them both of the destroyed Horcruxes. Then they told of the plan to search Little Hangleton from sky. Percy offered to help, and Harry said that he could, but that he didn't think it would do much, because the Horcrux was most likely well protected by magic, so it couldn't be seen by eye.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

The next morning Sirius arrived right after breakfast and apparated them both to the little town of Little Hangleton. It was old, and several houses were falling apart, and rather drowsy and quiet. The most impressive sight in it was the old and once impressive manor on the hilltop, which now looked abandoned and derelict. Harry transformed into his eagle and started circling above the town and its surrounding areas, rather low so not to miss anything.

Two hours passed before Harry reached an area far outside the main village, which was thick with magic. And dark magic at that. There was one rather horrid curse, and then there was the Horcrux itself, well protected inside the curse.

He turned around and quickly flapped back to the town, swooping in low over Sirius and Ginny's heads, who followed him to a more reserved area, where he transformed.

"I've got it. It's a few kilometres north-east of the village," Harry said.

"Right. You show the way, then," Sirius said and transformed into Padfoot.

Harry chose his horse, and Ginny copied. The two of them lead the way in a canter, with Padfoot panting loudly behind them.

They reached an area outside the forest where the brambles grew wildly and old trees hid an equally old shack in shadows. Many tiles had fallen from the roof and boards on the wall were loose. Nettles and weeds grew everywhere, and there were barely any path left visible. They had to push their way to the shack, which door was creaking in the breeze, hanging from one hinge only, while the other had fallen off the rotten wood.

Harry transformed to his human form and held his wand ready as he pushed the door open. The inventory was covered with grime, and vines had climbed in through cracks between the wall planks and the windows. There were only three small rooms there, some filthy, worn-down furniture and old, dirty pots spread all over.

"Where is it, Harry?" Sirius asked, looking around with rapt attention as if something horrible would jump out any minute.

"There." Harry pointed with his wand. "And it's the only magical thing that is harmful around here. I don't want any of you to touch it with bare hands."

"Where?" Sirius repeated.

Harry sniffed and did a blasting curse, which powderized the right end of the shack. Unsurprisingly, the Horcrux remained intact, hidden inside a golden box below the floor boards, and the lethal curse protecting it was weakened, but still very much intact.

The box he lifted up was ornate, brilliant, and well-kept; not at all looking like it had lied in an old, dirty, abandoned shack for many years. Harry opened it and stared at an ugly ring with a black stone. It held both the curse and the Horcrux.

"Do you know how to get past it, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"By not touching it with out hands. It's designed to affect the unsuspecting. The curse will kill you rather quickly, I think. Wizen your body like autumn does to a flower," Harry said.

"So we just need…" Sirius looked around and snatched a pair of screechy, rusty fire tongs from beside the old stove, "fire tongs!" Grinning at Harry, he stepped forward and grabbed the ring in the fire tongs' jaw.

"Good thinking," Ginny commented. "I brought some venom, in case we got lucky." She pulled out her dragonhide gloves for good measure, put them on and then dug for a well-sealed phial with only a little bit of venom. She opened it and let a small drop of the deadly liquid drop on the ring. It hissed before the venom made impact, but then it screamed, as if in horrible pain.

Harry watched with satisfaction as it turned black and dead in front of his eyes. The dark magic disappeared, revealing some underlying, suppressed magic.

"Harry," Ginny muttered, realizing what he saw. He did not understand what they really had found, but he could see the magic. Ginny put two and two together. "This isn't something to mess with."

"What's going on?" Sirius asked, confused.

"I am certain that it's the Resurrection Stone. I'm as certain of that as that Harry has the real Cloak of Invisibility. It hasn't faded, has it?" She looked at Sirius with a serious expression.

All the colour in Sirius' face drained away. "You can't be… it's not… you're joking, right?"

"Look, the magic that Harry can feel makes it almost certain. Only that he doesn't know the Tale of the Three Brothers," Ginny explained.

"But… then we can have James and Lily back," Sirus looked almost ready to faint, and Harry jumped up when he heard it, looking from Ginny to Sirius with eyes wide with hope.

Ginny sighed and took Harry's face in her hands. "They won't be real, Harry. The Tale of the Three Brothers says that they only come back in a less human form. Not solid enough for a live being, and not… well, ghostly enough for a ghost. They will not really be alive; according to the story, you will force something back into the living world against their will, and against nature. They couldn't be happy here now. They don't belong here anymore," she told him sincerely, gently caressing his cheeks with her thumbs as his eyes filled with tears.

"But – "

"No, Harry. It wouldn't be right." She pulled him into a hug as he cried quietly. Without another word she just held him until he finally calmed down. Sirius looked rather misty-eyed too, and offered Harry a hug, too.

"Ginny is right. I got my hopes up too, and I didn't think rationally. At least someone here has wits enough to keep our feet planted on the ground," Sirius admitted and gave Ginny a faint smile as he released Harry.

"Let's go home," Harry muttered. He looked really depressed, and Ginny didn't blame him.

Sirius nodded, and apparated them both straight to Potter Palace. For the rest of the day Harry wasn't in mood for anything. Only in the evening, when Ron stepped by and asked him to help practice for a Quidditch Keeper, Harry left the garden chair that he'd been sulking in for the majority of the day.

"This is going to be Wood's last year; I want to see if I've got a shot to make the team after he graduates," Ron explained.

"Good thinking," Harry agreed as he took to air with his Nimbus 2000. Ginny decided to join, which was good, because she was far better as a chaser than Harry.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

The last day before departure to Hogwarts the Potters and the Weasleys were all gathered at the Burrow for a departure feast, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley. And with already five Horcruxes destroyed, there was reason for celebration. Earlier in the day they had been in Diagon Alley to get the last few tidbits they needed for school, and Hermione had emerged from the Magical Menagerie with a large, ginger cat with a lose which looked like the cat had ran into a wall.

On the morning September 1st Harry and Ginny were up early to lock down the house before they left. Triomphe had, to their great surprise, disappeared, for the first time since his illness. Hedwig sat patiently in her cage, preening while she waited for Harry and Ginny to make sure every lamp was off, every fire was turned off, every window closed and all security spells were in order.

The clock was ten when the two of them apparated – an art Mr Weasley and Sirius had worked them hard to learn the last two weeks – outside King's Cross station. Ginny quickly fetched a luggage cart, which they loaded their trunks on, and placed Hedwig's cage on top.

Rather discretely, Ginny let her hand casually rest on Harry's as he controlled the cart through the terminal.

"I won't be surprised if the others arrive late. It'll be so like them," Ginny said as they walked past platform one and two.

"We'll just reserve a compartment, then," Harry replied.

It appeared like others had had the same idea as them by arriving early, because there were someone in almost every compartment. Harry and Ginny finally settled in one where a wizard sat with his head leaned against the glass, obviously asleep. He wore old, worn robes, which were patched several places, and he looked remotely ill, and with grey streaks in his hair despite his obvious young age.

Harry recognized him immediately. Not because of his look, but his magic was a dead giveaway. "That's Sirius' friend, isn't it? Remus something?" he asked.

Ginny easily locomotored her trunk up on the rack beside the man's rather beaten one. "It says R. J. Lupin on his trunk. I suppose he's the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Why else would he be on the Hogwarts Express?"

"But then again, Sirius did say that he was going to move because he got a new job," Harry said, studying Mr. Lupin closely, "but what sort of illness is that..?" he muttered lowly.

Only a few minutes later Ron and Hermione appeared, earlier than what Ginny had expected.

"Percy forced you to get your things together last night, didn't he?" she asked, raising a brow at Ron.

"Hey! It wasn't only me! Fred searched all over the house for his socks, and George had lost his new Exploding Snap cards," Ron replied and puffed to get his trunk onto the luggage rack. Harry stood and helped him.

Hermione dumped into the chair next to Mr. Lupin and studied him curiously. "This is the new professor, isn't it?"

"I suppose," Harry said, "it's Sirius' friend."

"Oh, that one with that illness you were talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Hey, Harry? Did you figure out that monster book for Care of Magical Creatures?" Ron asked, "it nearly bit my toes off last night.

Harry snorted. "No, I used one of uncle Vernon's old belts to strap it shut. I really don't believe Professor Kettleburn would want such a book. He might be a little mad concerning animals – "

"He's nothing to Hagrid," Ron muttered, "That book would be just like him."

"Well, I did get it as a birthday present from Hagrid," Harry pointed out, "but Kettleburn wasn't going to resign, was he?"

"I've not heard anything about it, at least," Hermione said.

They settled into a comfortable conversation as the train moved out of London. Mr. Lupin was still asleep, and didn't even when Crookshanks – Hermione's new cat, rubbed against his legs. Harry kept staring at him, still trying to figure out what sort of illness he had, and by the time the trolley witch came by, he was seriously considering waking him to ask.

Hermione was against it for its rudeness, but Ron agreed whole-heartedly. Even Ginny did. Thus, Harry hesitantly prodded Mr. Lupin with the tip of his wand.

"Mr. Lupin?" he asked.

The wizard grunted and shifted a little. Harry tried again. "Mr. Lupin?"

This time he was rewarded by amber eyes which looked around blearily. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry to wake you, sir," Harry said, "but I wanted to ask you a question, if I may?"

Mr. Lupin looked at him, and his eyes shifted up to Harry's scar before his face broadened into a smile. "Of course. Ask whatever you want."

"Right. Thanks." Harry hesitated and glanced at Ginny for a moment before looking back at Mr. Lupin.

"You're Sirius Black's friend, aren't you? He's been living with you since he was freed, he says."

"He has. Your godfather speaks very highly of you, Harry," Mr. Lupin said and smiled as Harry's cheeks turned red.

"How much has he told you about us?" Harry gestured towards himself and Ginny.

"Not very much. Your business is not his secret to tell," Mr. Lupin told Harry sincerely, "and I don't want to pry into other people's lives."

"He said we could trust you," Ginny said. "In order to ask the question that we are wondering about, we do have to trust you quite a lot."

Mr. Lupin raised his brows. "Is that so? Well, I will answer as best as I can should you decide to trust me."

"I can feel magic, sir, and I am curious about yours," Harry admitted.

"Oh?" Mr. Lupin frowned a little, and his face grew a few tads more concerned. "What can you tell from watching me?"

"That there is an infection. That is potentially harmful, but that it is inactive right now. It's connected to an animal, but not like Sirius and Professor McGonagall. But I know it's just as much your fault as Ginny having dragon pox would be her fault," Harry added, seeing Mr. Lupin's alarmed look. It helped a little, obviously, because his shoulders dropped, and he exhaled in relief.

"I'm glad to hear you see that little bit. Many people ignore that fact and only see the danger in me," Mr. Lupin smiled wistfully at the kids.

"Yes, but what illness is it, sir?" Hermione asked, her curiosity having won her over.

"I'm a werewolf," Mr. Lupin said quietly.

Ron looked panicked. "A werewolf – " Within a moment he had Ginny nearly on his lap, staring harshly into his eyes.

"It's not his fault, Ron! Do you think he wanted to be bitten?" she snapped at him.

Ron shook his head quickly as his ears turned bright pink. "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's alright," Mr. Lupin assured him, "I'm used to it by now. That is why your father, Sirius and Pettigrew became animagi. You see, werewolves hunt humans mindlessly during full moon, and when there are no humans available to hunt, or anything to distract us, we attack ourselves instead." He looked down at his scarred hands. "Sirius and James… while they couldn't keep me company as humans, they spent the full moon with me as animals. To go through that trouble for me, to help me, I really couldn't believe how lucky I was to have such friends. Your parents' death devastated me, Harry," Mr Lupin said, his gaze filled with sorrow.

Harry said the first think he could think of. "I'm sorry."

Mr. Lupin only smiled wistfully and shook his head. Hermione looked at him with compassion, and Ron was distant-mindedly fingering an empty chocolate frog box. Ginny leaned against Harry, and after a while found the _Dark Curses and Countercurses_ , which the two of them read together. Hermione leaned over and tried to read it upside down, after which Harry promised to let her read it after he and Ginny were done with it.

Soon enough, the unavoidable blonde head poked inside of their compartment along with his thickset bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle. "Well, well, isn't it Potty and Weasel! Two Weasels, even!" Malfoy sneered before his gaze fell on Mr. Lupin. "Who are you?"

"I'm your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin," Mr. Lupin said, raising a brow at Malfoy, whose eyes narrowed. He wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight under the nose of a teacher, but he still eyed Mr. Lupin's worn clothes with obvious distaste.

"Come on," he muttered to Crabbe and Goyle and shut the door before he disappeared down the corridor in a hurry.

Harry had to hold back a satisfied smile, but Ron didn't manage as much. Not that Mr. Lupin seemed to mind. Ginny hid her smile against Harry's shoulder as she pretended to read their book.

"Do you know him?" Mr. Lupin asked Harry.

"You probably know about his father, Lucius Malfoy," Harry said.

Mr. Lupin nodded, an angry look crossing his face. "Anti-werewolf wizard if I ever saw one," he grumbled darkly.

"Harry thinks he planted the diary that possessed Ginny on her to dishonour dad," Ron said tactlessly, earning a jab at his side, which caused him to grunt, and then ignore it, "dad was trying to pass a muggle protection act, and Malfoy disagreed of course."

Mr. Lupin's eyes widened. "Possessed?" he uttered breathlessly, looking at Ginny, who shot glares at Ron, but nodded slowly.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she muttered, and avoided further questions by planting herself on Harry's lap and hide her face against his neck.

Ron looked unconfortably from Mr. Lupin to Ginny and then at Harry. "Sorry," he mouthed again, having noticed his sister's distress.

"Try not to blurt it out to everybody, Ron. We don't know who we can trust," Harry said calmly. "Like Pettigrew, there might suddenly turn out to be a spy right where we never thought there would be one."

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Harry felt it far earlier than Ginny did. There was a creature. A dark one. Not like Professor Lupin, who had an illness. No, this was a creature born dark. It sent shivers down Harry's back, something that Ginny was affected by, and shuddered.

"Wand out, d'you recon?" he muttered to her as the train started to slow down.

She nodded. "You remember, don't you? The memory?"

He answered with a short nod and drew his wand. Ginny copied him and positioned herself by the door to see.

The train stopped with a sudden jolt, and a lot of thumps and bumps were heard, signalizing fallen trunks and stumbling students. Then the lights went out. The train was left in total darkness, and Ron, who had ended up on the floor, scrambled around to get back in his seat.

"Ouch! That's my foot, Ron!" Hermione's voice said.

"Sorry," he hurried to say.

The compartment door slid open, and there was a thud as someone stumbled in Hedwig's fallen cage.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry!

"Hullo, Neville," Harry said and fumbled around to find Neville to help him up.

"Harry? Is that you?"

"Yeah."

"What's going on?"

"We are being boarded," Harry replied darkly. "Professor Lupin, do you know the Patronus Charm? In case they come here?"

"Yes, I do," Professor Lupin's voice said, though he sounded confused.

"Lumos," Harry said at last. The tip of his wand threw a light over the compartment, allowing everybody to scramble into their seats. Hermione moved Crookshanks so Neville could sit with them.

Ron had his face pressed against the window. "There's someone out there," he said, uncertainty evident in his voice.

"Something," Harry replied. His focus was almost solely on sensing the movement of those dark soul-sucking creatures. "They aren't humans."

Ginny stiffened when she spotted the tall, cloaked Dementor with the decayed, slimy hands moving down the corridor. She hurriedly backed away towards Harry when the Dementor got near enough to form ice crystals on the glass.

"Remember last night, Gin," Harry muttered into her ear.

The next thing she saw was a huge silver eagle appearing in front of her and force the Dementor away and down the corridor. In a burst of courage, strengthened by Harry's comforting touch, she hurried after the Dementor, her heart pounding a mile a minute. Her only thought was that she wanted it away from the people she loved, and more precisely, the boy she loved more than life itself. For him, she'd stand up to this gruesome creature and do everything in her power to drive it away.

It drew a rattling breath, which chilled her to the bone. An evil laughter she remembered as Tom's sounded in her head, and all she wanted to do was to flee. Horror and fear enveloped her. She couldn't move; she could barely breathe, and her body was trembling like an aspen leaf in the wind.

 _August 4_ _th_ _,_ sounded Harry's voice in her head. It brought her out of the stupor enough to allow her to flee the opposite direction. The Dementor, however, followed closely behind.

 _Ginny, your eagle! Use it!_ Harry shouted at her, trying to pull her out of the Dementor's effect.

He was worried, frightened for her, even, but Ginny still saw the light from his Patronus reflecting in the windows. The eagle. Harry's patronus. Her Harry. She focussed on that; through the cold from the Dementor it was nearly impossible, but it was a happy thought, and she clung to it.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Her eagle; identical to Harry's. It represented everything she felt for him; everything he meant for her. Watching it made her even happier, and it responded by glowing stronger.

He saw Harry beam at her as he attacked the Dementor from the opposite direction. With a patronus on either side, it was trapped.

"Hold it still, Gin," Harry told her softly.

Ginny let her eagle work to block the path for the Dementor, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry's larger eagle make a loop. It glowed so brightly it lit up the compartment beside them, and Ginny felt giddy when she picked up on all the powerful emotions in his mind. It was pure love. No images, no memories, just pure love for her, and for her family. He poured his magic into it. It was only for a short moment, but Ginny was certain that she'd seen its colour shift from silver to gold, and back again.

His eagle swooped down towards the Dementor and crashed into its chest. There was a rattling scream as the dark figure of the dementor was engulfed in silver light. A large boom shook the whole carriage, and nearly shattered several of the windows. The air filled with silver-glowing small pieces of something that Ginny assumed were the remnants of the Dementor, because it was gone. Not even Harry could feel it anymore. Stunned, he watched the glowing pieces floating down to the ground and cover the floor in a rug of silver.

He let his patronus vanish, and glanced at Ginny. As the lights in the train lit again, he noticed how pale she was, and how unsteady she looked. He strode over to her and embraced her tightly, pouring every ounce of his love for her into her.

The train started to move. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and her fingers bury into the back of his shirt. She sniffled a little.

"I'm sorry. I overestimated myself by running after it." She hid her face into the crook of his neck, refusing to look at his face. She expected him to be mad at her, frightened, disappointed, even, but when he pulled back and gently made her look him in the eyes, she saw none of that. Instead she saw bottomless pride and love and relief.

"I know why you did, Gin. And that make me more happy than you can imagine," he told her softly.

She gave him a wry smile, which faded quickly. "Still. I'm sorry. I didn't have to do it."

"Now, see, Gin; if you and I hadn't done anything, it might possibly have attacked a student, despite it being on orders to capture Pettigrew. We never know; we can't be foolish enough to trust them," he told her.

She nodded mutely and let him lead her back to their compartment. As they left, Harry caught a glimpse of a pale face with a pointed chin and blonde hair peering out at them, but without the usual malice. Instead was an expression of utter astonishment.

They found Professor Lupin halfway down the corridor. He had followed out of concern, and was relieved to see them practically unharmed.

"That was rather foolish of you two," he told them sternly as he broke a plate of chocolate into large pieces, "Dementors are very dangerous creatures; they will suck your soul out if they got the chance."

"I'm sorry," Ginny muttered guiltily.

"Although, I am more curious about how you can do the Patronus Charm. It's above N.E.W.T level, and very, very difficult."

"Reading and lots and lots of practice. Sirius cave us a few tips that finally helped us master it. His stories about the Dementors, and them being stationed at Hogwarts was our motivation for learning it," Harry explained.

Inside their compartment, Ron, Hermione and Neville were discussing the Dementors rather anxiously. Professor Lupin handed out chocolate to everyone, which they nibbled on.

 _How come you weren't affected? You've got just as bad memories as I do,_ Ginny asked as she leaned against Harry.

 _I was. I nearly fainted. I heard my mum scream. I heard daddy shouting,_ Harry said quietly.

Ginny responded by hugging him even tighter.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at him with a frown of concern.

"Yeah. Or, I will be," he muttered.

"What happened to the Dementor?" Neville asked, glancing nervously out the window as if it would appear outside any moment.

"We destroyed it," Harry replied. Professor Lupin's eyes widened in surprise.

"Harry, Dementors can't be destroyed," he said hoarsely.

"Well, it did. My patronus somehow blew it up into multiple glowing pieces," Harry replied indignantly as he hugged Ginny tightly.

The compartment fell back into an uncomfortable silence, and Hermione returned back to her copy of _Numerology and Grammatica_. Professor Lupin left to talk to the driver while they changed into their robes. Hogsmeade station soon came into view and the train stopped.

Harry felt tense. Dumbledore would be in the castle, only a short carriage ride away. His repertoire was formidable, and Harry barely dared think of what he might do. At least, Harry had the law on his side. He could do whatever he needed to in order to protect her; Geoffrey Holland had seen to that back in year 516. Still, there was the possibility of being too late, should the old fool attempt to perform another memory charm, or worse.


	12. The Unknowns of Hogwarts

Students were scrambling to get off the train quickly, and Ginny's soft-spoken concerns about Dumbedore that she uttered while they exited were drowned in the midst of chattering students, yowling cats, croaking toads and plentiful hooting owls, thumps and thuds of trunks shifting around, and Hagrid's call:

"Firs' years over here! Firs' years! Hello, there, Harry, Ron, Hermione! How are yeh all doing?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione beamed at him and waved, but got no chance to speak with him over the noise and the students who had gathered around Hagrid, and towed Ginny along the platform.

Loud cries came from their right. Harry had his wand in his hand in a moment, and moved to have a look, Ginny following as she refused to let go of his hand.

All sorts of scenarios appeared in his head. It could be Dementors, or even Death Eater. He mentally prepared himself for denfence, and distantly noticed Professor Lupin, Ron and Hermione pushing their way through the crowd behind him.

Then, suddenly Hagrid's large form made way through the students who jumped left and right to get out of his way. He reached the cluster of terrified students, and turned his attention to where they were pointing with shaking hands and voices of fear.

Harry noted how the students were all looking hot and flustered, and Hagrid even lifted off his cloak.

"Look, Harry!" Ginny said suddenly and pulled at his hand. Her other, her free hand pointed towards the edge of the forest, where a large campitor stood, snorting and shifting as it weighed up the students, preparing to attack. A newly formed burn was visible on its left flank.

"Triomphe!" Harry exclaimed. He hurried through the last rows of students and crossed the patch of tall field grass in leaps.

"Harry!" Hagrid called after him, "Don' go close! It'll kill yeh!"

Harry didn't listen. He'd recognize Triomphe anywhere, and if he didn't recognize that face, he'd be blind. Ginny beamed happily and sprinted past harry to throw her arms around Triomphe's neck as he lowered his head to greet them, being distracted sufficiently from the children. She was physically lifted off the ground for a moment.

"Hello, mate!" Harry rubbed his forehead, "so this is where you've gone off, huh?"

"He must have known we were going here," Ginny reasoned as she regained her footing.

"But how did he get here so fast?" Harry wondered as he glanced back at all the students who were watching with sweating faces. Hagrid was dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief the size of a towel, but his eyes were gleaming in astonishment as he watched them.

"No idea," Ginny said. She frowned as Triomphe placed himself by the stone wall beside the train station, nickering softly at them.

"Right. I'm not sure if I want to do that," Ginny said sceptically.

Harry raised a brow at her as he climbed the wall. "Would you rather sit inside a small, crowded carriage?" He jumped up so he landed on his stomach on top of Triomphe before swinging a leg over.

Ginny huffed at him, but followed him up, securing a firm grip around his waist.

"It's alright, Hagrid," Harry called at him.

Hagrid looked only partly convinced, but nodded and ushered the first years away while the last students found a horse-less carriage. Hermione and Ron climbed into the one at the rear along with Neville. Triomphe trotted along, some metres behind their carriage. Harry distantly wondered if it was Triomphe who made everyone so hot, but himself and Ginny didn't feel a thing, so it really didn't make much sense. He resorted to ask Hagrid about it.

By the castle Triomphe let them off at the stone stairs, and was rewarded by rubs and petting from his passengers before they disappeared inside.

"Merlin, that thing is hot!" Ron declared, wiping sweat from his eyes, "it was never that hot at the Palace."

"It was never that close while it was healthy," Hermione reminded him.

"Do you guys know what sort of a creature it is?" Neville inquired.

"Triomphe is a campitor," Harry explained, "we found him near my family property, very ill, so Ginny and I took care of him until he got back on his feet."

"Oh. He looks a little scary," Neville said timidly, his cheeks flushing.

"What I am the most curious about, Harry, is why you weren't burned, not to mention killed! They are xxxxx-rated by the Ministry," Hermione said crossly.

"My guess is as good as yours, Hermione, but I was thinking we could pay Hagrid a visit tomorrow. He might know."

They followed the wave of students that nearly carried them up the marble staircase.

"Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!" Harry startled and looked to find Professor McGonagall peering expectantly at him over the edge of her spectacles from the top landing. Her stern face was emphasized by her black hair being pulled into a tight bun.

Harry made his way through the students he'd somehow ended in the middle of and headed towards her with a sense of foreboding. He suspected that they were heading to the Headmaster's office. Only seconds inside the doors, and their bond was already going to be threatened. He wasn't sure where Hermione came into all of this, but he concluded that it probably had something to do with school work, and that she was probably only seeing Professor McGonagall, and not Dumbledore.

"No, to _my_ office, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall assured him at seeing his expression.

Harry's shoulders sagged a little in relief. Perhaps this wasn't about Dumbledore wanting to separate him and Ginny after all? He barely dared get his hopes up, though, only to be disappointed and caught unaware if Dumbledore was hiding in Professor McGonagall's office.

Beside him, Ginny also reacted to the name Potter, and followed Harry and Hermione aside. Professor McGonagall's stern gaze fell on her.

"Not you, Miss W – " she gaped a few times and looked as though her vocal cords had been cut off before she relented with an annoyed expression. "Very well. Follow me."

"She'll want to know," Hermione whispered at Harry as they trailed after Professor McGonagall to her office, "the bond, I mean!"

"I suppose. We probably have to tell her about this, though," Harry whispered back, gesturing at his wedding band, "I mean with Ginny's name and all."

Hermione nodded. "What are you going to tell her about it all?" She then watched patiently, but with a hint of curiosity as Harry and Ginny discussed it quietly through their connection.

"All of it," he replied to Hermione after a few seconds, "if we can trust her."

Madam Pomfrey waited for them inside Professor McGonagall's office, to their surprise, and studied Harry closely, as if trying to find a fault on him. Professor McGonagall settled into her chair and motioned for them to take a seat each. "Miss W – well, let us start with that, shall we?" she looked at Ginny with a particularly critical expression. "Why am I unable to pronounce your name, and why did the Headmaster have trouble saying it, or even writing it during our meetings over the last weeks?"

Ginny shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Harry for a moment. "Because Ginny Weasley is not my name," she said. She then hesitated, and Professor McGonagall gave her a startled look, her hand inching towards her wand. Madam Pomfrey already had her wand in her hand, and prepared to cast a spell. "No, please don't think I'm polyjuiced or something, Professor; I'm still Molly and Arthur Weasley's daughter. We just need to know whether we can trust you not to tell Professor Dumbledore about what we are going to tell you.

Professor McGonagall watched her intrigued, but she hesitated when they questioned her loyalty to Dumbledore. "Is it anything dangerous?"

"No, Professor," Ginny said.

Madam Pomfrey agreed surprisingly quickly, looking as curious as Hermione usually did when she came across a potential well of new knowledge.

After a few seconds thought, Professor McGonagall nodded slowly, watching her contemplatingly. "Alright; I will not tell. I assume Miss Granger already is in on your secret?"

Ginny nodded, and then proceeded to tell Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey about what had happened in the Chamber after Harry had saved her, and what had happened the night to August 4th. Their normally collected professor sat stunned in her chair, slumped like a bag of potatoes while she looked from Harry to Ginny with astonishment. At first, she had seemed disbelieving, but as their tale went on, she became more and more convinced.

"So in all sense, I am Ginny Molly Potter, which is probably written in the records, and which we expect that the Headmaster already knows, but Harry hasn't had the opportunity to check if he does yet," Ginny explained.

"Plus," Hermione began for the first time, "he probably wouldn't dare do anything after you chased him away from the Burrow, Harry."

"He deserved it," Harry growled quietly.

Professor McGonagall coughed. "Well, I must say I never expected Professor Dumbledore to sink so low, but if what you have told me is true, then he is not the man I thought he was. To try to obliviate a child!" she muttered indignantly to herself.

"What was it that you wanted me here for, Professor?" Harry asked.

His comment snapped Professor McGonagall into her strictly professional mode again. "Professor Lupin sent an owl about your close encounter with a Dementor on the train, Potter. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Ginny was there too," Harry replied hotly. He didn't like that she wasn't even mentioned. "And we're alright. Professor Lupin gave us all chocolate.

"Did he, now?" Madam Pomfrey said, clucking approvingly. "Finally a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies. I do hope we get to keep him for a while."

"Are you sure you are alright, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter?" Professor McGonagall looked remotely uncomfortable with using Ginny's new name.

"Yes, Professor," Harry and Ginny chorused.

"Very well. If you will wait outside; I need a word with Miss Granger in private," Professor McGonagall said.

Harry and Ginny went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who then stopped and looked at them thoughtfully.

"So that's what happened when Dumbledore returned here with the results of some rather nasty curses and a deep, wound," she pondered loudly, her gaze shifting to Harry. "Well, the Ministry better brush the dust of the old laws pretty soon. Potter, promise that you will not abuse your right, yes?"

"I won't," Harry agreed wholeheartedly and watched as she left for the Hospital Wing, muttering to herself.

"There's something that I've been missing today," Ginny said suddenly, causing him to turn and look at her questioningly.

"What – " Her lips met his, and he felt his knees go weak at the pleasure that it caused. Warmth and tingles spread through his body, causing goosebumps to appear. Especially at his neck, where her fingertips were playing with his hair.

She broke apart after a few seconds and beamed at him.

He grinned goofily. "Oh. That," he declared and leaned in for more.

It was only the door slamming shut that forced them apart minutes later. Hermione had exited, looking very happy for something. Harry and Ginny tried to pry it out of her on their way to the Great Hall, but she refused to tell, and changed subjects immediately.

"Why did you tell her everything?"

Harry looked back at her with resignation. "Look, the castle's magic reacted when Ginny and I entered. It recognized our bond and adapted to it. I don't know what it has done yet, though. Besides, we need support from someone in the staff, in case something should happen, and Madam Pomfrey – well, with all the things happening to me, it might be best that she knew anyway." He studied Hermione closely. She had some sort of a magical amulet hidden beneath her robes. Its magic was unlike anything Harry had ever seen before; its purpose was to alter time.

 _Why would she want to alter time? Hermione already knows the risk of tampering with time,_ Harry said, frowning.

 _Something to do with school, perhaps? It would be the best motivation for our bookworm,_ Ginny suggested.

Harry paused and looked at her. _She's taking a lot of classes this year, isn't she? I guess we'll figure out tomorrow when we get the schedules,_ he reasoned. Ginny nodded faintly in agreement.

 _I can barely believe that Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster would allow her to alter time,_ Ginny said.

 _Perhaps it's because of the purpose. And knowing she wouldn't abuse it?_

Ginny had to agree with that, so they walked back to the Great Hall in peace.

When they reached the Great Hall a sea of pointed, black hats met them. The faces of hundreds of students gleamed in the candle light, and tiny, white-haired Professor Flitwick was already carrying the stool and the Sorting Hat away.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione soon found Ron beside Neville at the Gryffindor table. They had saved them seats, and Ron immediately inquired about what Professor McGonagall had wanted to tell them.

However, their explanation was interrupted by Dumbledore, who stood and beamed at the students. "Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I have some rather important news for you, and one of them is bad, so I figure it will be best to get it out of the way before your minds are befuddled with our fantastic feast. Our school is presently playing hosts to the Dementors of Azkaban, who are going to be here this year on Ministry business. They are stationed at every entrance, and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody may leave the school without permission." His gaze drifted to Harry, Ron and Hermione as he spoke. "They are not fooled by pranks or invisibility cloaks, and I implore you to remember that forgiveness is not in their nature. They do not respond to pleads and excuses. I look to the prefects and the Head Boy and Head Girl to make sure no student run afoul with the Dementors."

Further up the table Percy puffed out his chest importantly and looked around to see if anyone were watching him. Ginny merely beamed innocently at him while she caught his gaze.

 _Want to bet on him using his falcon to catch culprits?_ She asked Harry.

 _He wouldn't. He wouldn't be able to prove it without revealing the fact that he's doing something illegal,_ Harry replied.

 _Two galleons, then?_ She raised a brow at him.

 _Deal._

"On a happier note," Dumbledore continued, "Professor Lupin has kindly accepted to replace Gilderoy Lockhart as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher after last spring's unfortunate events." There was a polite applause, and more so from Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys. Ginny noted that he stuck out a little bit more because of his shabby robes compared to the rest of the professors' best robes, and she concluded that it was the reason he earned many sceptical looks from the children of higher-standing pureblood families, like Malfoy.

"Look at Snape," Ron muttered, leaning towards Harry.

Harry glanced at Snape, who was glaring at Professor Lupin hatefully. It reminded him of how Snape usually looked at Harry; pure loathe coated the pale wizard's sallow face. The intensity of it startled Harry, and he wondered for a while what kind of history Snape had with Professor Lupin. He knew that they had been in school together; Sirius had told him as much. Perhaps something had happened during their school days. Or perhaps Snape knew that Professor Lupin was a werewolf, and that's why he hated him?

He was torn from his musings when Dumbledore went on; "Also, due to Professor Kettleburn's retirement, our own Rubeus Hagrid will be filling in as Care of Magical Creatures Professor."

"Of course!" Ron exclaimed and hit his forehead with his hand, "who else would give us a biting book? We should've realized when he sent it to Harry for his birthday."

Hermione, Ginny, Harry and Ron were the last ones to stop applauding, and Harry and Ron even stood to show their appreciation. Hagrid had gone red in the face, was beaming and waved at them, while wiping his eyes with the table cloth, nearly pulling the tableware down with it.

From that point they anxiously waited for the feast to finish, so they could congratulate Hagrid. Harry couldn't think of anyone more deserving, and since he knew that Hagrid had a well of knowledge about the subject, he was looking forward to the classes. Hermione displayed a little more foreboding, however, reminding them duly of the creatures that Hagrid favourized.

"He's a professor now, Hermione," Ron said, "he'll probably know that we will have learn about other creatures as well."

But Hermione didn't look convinced. However, she beamed happily as they ran up to the head table after the desserts.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" she squealed and managed to give him a hug.

"All thanks ter you three," Hagrid said, sniffling loudly and wiping his face with a napkin, "I can even do magic now; fully pardoned and everythin'!"

"You really deserve it, Hagrid," Harry said sincerely. "We are really looking forward to your classes."

"It really means a lot ter have you lot in it," Hagrid said before he met Harry's gaze, "you've got to come down an' tell me about tha' campitor of yers, Harry."

"Yes, we'll step by tomorrow; we've got some questions for you as well."

Harry climbed the stairs to the boys' dorms tiredly. It had been a long, and rather eventful day, and he couldn't wait to collapse on his four-poster bed again, despite how comfortable his bed at home was. There would always be something special about his bed at Hogwarts. Even the part concerning Ron's snores, Neville's muttering in his sleep and Seamus' occasional sleepwalking.

Tumbling inside their dorm behind Ron, he kicked his shoes off beside his bed and started rummaging in his trunk for his pyjamas while Seamus and Dean wandered into the bathroom. Neville was seen sitting on his bed, turning his alarm clock for the morning, and Ron stood nearly upside down, pulling half the things out of his trunk in search for his toiletries.

 _Harry!_ Ginny's voice sounded alarmed in his mind, causing him to straighten very quickly, and nearly snap something in his back.

"Huh?"

 _My bed's gone! My trunk isn't here; not even a trace of it!_

Ron glanced at Harry's surprised face. "What's going on? Something wrong, Harry?" Neville looked up from his watch, frowning.

"Her bed's gone. And her trunk too."

Ron frowned. "Check the castle," he suggested, "you said it changed, didn't you? Professor McGonagall didn't say anything about Ginny being expelled or anything, so I think it is with the castle, and not the staff."

"Good point," Harry agreed. He bit his lip as he concentrated on the magic within the castle, nearly asking it for information, and of what had happened only a couple of hours ago. Ron watched him in anticipation, and Neville with a certain degree of confusion. A couple of minutes passed before Harry had gathered enough information to form a conclusion. He looked at Ron.

"According to Hogwarts, married people share a bed."

"But – "

"Regardless of age, obviously," Harry added.

"But what about us? She can't sleep in here with four other blokes?" Ron protested, staring at Harry with disbelief.

"I don't know, Ron. What I'm more concerned about is where her trunk – " Harry stopped himself when he noticed magic gathering and shifting in the wall next to his bed.

Ron nudged him. "What's going on? What do you see?" he urged impatiently. And then he nearly stumbled.

Another trunk, one more worn than Harry's, appeared beside his own, with the initials G.W. on top. The next second Harry's attention was drawn back to the stone wall, where a door had appeared. It swung open to reveal a bathroom in grey stone, but with a tub instead of shower stalls, and far smaller. Lights from the candles on the walls bathed the room in a warm light. It was not meant for a whole dormitory to share; that much was clear. Peering inside, Harry recognized Ginny's toiletries already in place.

Ron squeaked girlishly behind him, causing him to turn again. "Harry, there's a letter on your bed!"

Out of nowhere a folded letter had appeared on his neatly made bed. It was addressed with a very neat, slanted writing, which was unfamiliar to Harry.

 _Mr. Harry Potter_ was written on it. Harry opened it tentatively, wary of what he might find inside. Either this was an incredibly stupid prank, or something strange was going on.

 _Dear Master,_

 _Due to the events that I am sure you are aware of August 4_ _th_ _I see myself fit to adjust to your needs and the needs of your wife. I understand that it is imperative that you, my Master, and your wife are allowed to share a bed, and I will do my outmost to allow it to happen. On such short notice, however, this is all that I can do. I will continue to work on more suitable arrangement, but it will require more time,_

 _Loyally yours,_

 _Hogwarts._

Gaping dumbly in shock, Harry thrust the letter into Ron's hand, who read it with eyes that grew wider and wider for every word.

"Master?" he breathed, astonished. "Is this supposed to be a joke?"

"Excuse me, but what is going on here?" Harry looked up, and realized that Neville was still there, having witnessed everything. He had completely forgotten about him when he had felt the bathroom appear.

He exchanged a glance with Ron, who frowned. "You tell him. I'll have to talk to Ginny."

"Everything?" Ron mouthed.

Harry nodded. "I think we can trust Neville." Then he focussed on the connection with Ginny, who was relating what she'd seen through Harry to Hermione, although quietly, because her two dorm mates were in the bathroom.

 _Are you coming?_ He asked, knowing she already knew about the letter.

 _Yes, just a minute._

Harry changed into his pyjamas while he listened to Ron explaining the situation to Neville, who looked at Harry with amazement.

"Those are supposed to be myths, Harry! Legends, only! Great-uncle Algie told stories about such things when I was smaller, but Gran always said not to believe them, because they were only for hopeless romantics," he said.

"So you're not bothered with Ginny sharing the dorm, then?" Harry asked warily.

"I might not be clever or brave like you, Harry, but I know not to mess with a soulbond when I know one. Besides, it's only temporarily, isn't it?"

"That's what the letter said," Harry admitted.

"Well, I suppose it's alright. As long as she tells when she exits the bathroom in the morning. I don't want to be caught by a girl in my underwear," Neville said, his cheeks turning pink.

Harry chuckled. "Sure. I'll mention it to her."

"But how come Hogwarts addresses you as its master?" Neville asked curiously, "I didn't know soulbonds did that."

"No idea," Harry said with a shrug just as the door went up and Ginny entered. She yawned sleepily and tumbled over to Harry's bed, falling asleep without caring about her clothes or shoes.

Harry untied her shoes and gently removed her shoes. Then he opened her trunk and found her nightwear strategically placed on top. He placed them folded on the bed beside her and did a switching spell. The next moment Ginny's robes were replaced by her red shorts and one of Harry's t-shirts; one which he had bought while staying at The Leaky Cauldron, and had a roaring Swedish Shortsnout on the chest. Ginny had nicked it from him one of their first nights at Potter Palace, and Harry thought she looked so cute in it that he didn't have the heart to take it back.

"Help me, will you, Ron?" Harry asked as he lifted Ginny up from the bed.

Ron hurried to pull back the covers, and dropped them over his sister when Harry had placed her back down on the mattress. Harry pulled the curtains close so Dean and Seamus wouldn't start questioning her presence.

"I hope you won't tell anyone about our bond, Neville," Harry said as he and Ron followed Neville across the room towards the dormitory bathroom.

"I won't. Not unless you say it's alright that I do," Neville assured him.

"Good," Harry nodded, and slipped past Dean on his way into the bathroom.

"'Night, you all," Dean said and headed towards his own bed.

"Good night."

Seamus was just finishing up and followed his best mate with a "good night" to, Ron, Harry and Neville.

"How come you told me and not them?" Neville asked after making sure the door was closed.

"You saw the letter, didn't you? The door has some sort of an invisibility charm on it. You won't see it unless you know it's there. And you do know, so you see it. You deserve the explanation," Harry said, "besides, we know that we can trust you. We don't trust Dean and Seamus just as much."

"They're the good sort of people," Ron added, "they're just room mates, not friends. They didn't stand up to us when we went to get the stone, and they didn't stand up for our team when Malfoy taunted our Quidditch team, did they? They didn't take on Crabbe and Goyle singlehandedly, did they?"

By now Neville's face was as red as his toothbrush, which he was staring at to avoid looking at Ron. "Well, they were wrong, and unfair." As an excuse to continue explain himself, he began to brush his teeth.

After brushing his teeth and cleaning his face Harry returned to the dorm and slipped in between the closed curtains into the bed.


	13. Hero and Husband

The next morning was filled with a very interesting Transfigurations class with Professor McGonagall. Over half the class had taken Divination, which, after hearing Hermione and Ron talk about it, Harry agreed with Hermione and Professor McGonagall that it was a highly questionable subject, which Professor McGonagall firmly told then after their lack of response to her animagus transformation.

Harry was one of the few that was able to pay enough attention to answer several of her questions about it, thus earning Gryffindor twenty points.

Meanwhile, Ginny was struggling with Professor Snape in Potions.

"Today you are doing the Muteness Potion," Snape sneered at he class, his eyes travelling from face to face until he reached Ginny. He paused and watched her with a cold eye for while before he waved his wand towards the table, where the recipe appeared.

Ginny immediately began gathering and preparing her ingredients. Colin, who shared the table with her, was muttering under his breath, trying to remember something he had read in a book as he worked. Professor Snape made his usual rounds, and Ginny looked up when he reached her. He raised a brow at her.

"Professor, I was wondering about something; if one stirred three times counterclockwise instead of clockwise, wouldn't that be of advantage to the cricket legs and how they interact with the Flu beetles?" she asked him, hoping he wouldn't yell her ears out just for asking.

Snape narrowed his eyes as he watched her. She watched as his emotions changed from surprise to impressiveness, which meant that she had hit spot on. She had to hide a smile of satisfaction. Colin had paused in his work and was now watching the interaction between Snape and Ginny.

"Who have informed you of such a thing?"

"Umm… Harry figured that they reacted positively if one did that while brewing the Voice-Altering Draught, sir," she said.

"Ah, your husband," Snape said, and smiled with malice. More than a few people turned and looked at Ginny with wonder, but she carefully ignored it. "Would you trust him enough to try it with this one too, _Mrs. Potter_?" He emphasized her new name like it would annoy her if he said it.

Ginny rather thought he hoped her class mates would bother her about it later, which he was probably right in assuming. "I do, sir," she replied, refusing to let his attempts of mockery get to her.

"Well, then, why don't you try?" Snape's face turned neutral, and he moved on for his round.

"Ginny, what was he talking about?" Colin hissed at her, "you and Harry aren't married!"

"Believe it or not, we are. Now, if you don't mind, I have a potion to brew," she declared impatiently and left Colin gaping at her.

After snatching some sandwiches for lunch, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione skipped down to Hagrid's to have a chat before class. He was already bustling around outside his cottage, looking nervous. He continuously shifted around some bowls of eggs that Harry didn't even dare guess what contained.

"Hello, Hagrid! How are you?" he asked.

"Mornin', Harry, Ron, Hermione – and Ginny too! How come?" Hagrid's face lit up, and he beamed widely at them as they jogged across the grass.

"I'm only going to stay during lunch; I wanted to see you too. We have some questions for you," she explained.

Hagrid seemed relieved from the distraction. "Yeh have? Well, then, as yer professor it is my job ter answer them!" he said happily and settled down on a large chair that he had pulled out of his small cabin.

"You know Triomphe, the campitor that was at Hogsmeade yesterday?" Harry asked.

"Yeah; magnificent beast tha' one," Hagrid declared.

"Yes, he's great. Ginny and I found him at my ancestral home, down with the Cerulean Fever. We brewed the cure, and after that he's stayed rather close to our home. He never felt hot, like a campitor should, even though his flames returned, but you saw yourself what happened yesterday," Harry explained, "Ginny and I are wondering why we are not affected by his heat? He feels as warm as an ordinary warm-blooded animal."

"Campitors are selective with their powers, Harry," Hagrid told her. He crossed his legs and folded his hands comfortably over his stomach, "if yeh really saved his life, I reckon he trusts you, an' tha's a rare gift from a campitor. They won't burn someone they are attached ter and trust. You treat 'im carefully an' with respect, Harry, and ye've gotten yerself a friend for life. Loyal creatures, campitors, once they find one they trust. Attracted ter power, they are, so I reckon yeh are rather powerful Harry, if Triomphe took to yeh. Dead useful too; horribly protective an' hairs from their mane can be used in potions or in wands – I believe Ollivander once said tha' they make very fierce wands," Hagrid told them and appeared lost in thoughts for a while, "anyway, Harry; better not let a potions fanatic convince yeh to pluck yer campitor. Their mane hairs are very valuable, and their blood even more so."

"Like a unicorn's?" Hermione shot in.

"No, no! Not at all!" Hagrid exclaimed passionately, "Can' pick a mane hair of a burnin' campitor without dying, could yeh? 'Sides, their magic is very different. Not dark, Ron," he said when he recognized Ron's sceptical look, "jus' protective."

"Can you explain how Triomphe got from Devon to Scotland in two days?" Ginny inquired, and shot Harry a frown, who now had his attention firmly aimed towards the Forest near Hagrid's hut, having caught sight or sense of something or another.

"They're bleedin' fast, aren't they?" Hagrid said, admiration evident in his voice. "Brilliant understanding of humans, too. I tell yeh, he will pick up on everything tha' happens around 'im, and he will comprehend whatever yeh lot tell 'im. Whether he reacts to it or not is a different matter. Harry, perhaps I could borrow Triomphe for a class one day? I reckon yeh'll have to be there, though, with you being able ter control him, at least a little."

"I think he's more suited for Professor Lupin's class, Hagrid. Care of Magical Creatures aren't supposed to be about how to care for dark creatures, and campitors are rated dark, although I've never considered Triomphe dark," Harry admitted. He tried to be careful, so not to hurt his large friend, but the disappointment in Hagrid's face was unavoidable, "but if Professor Lupin decides to ask for him in his classes, I suppose you could be there and watch. If you ask Lupin kindly."

A small smile broke through Hagrid's resignation before he spotted the rest of the class approaching from the castle, which urged Ginny to leave, in order to get to Charms in time.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid called at the class and waved them along, "Got a real treat for you today! Great lesson comin' up! Are everybody here? Someun' missing?"

There was a negative reply from the students, all of whom carried a copy of _Monster Book of Monsters_ , bound tight with spellotape or belts. Hagrid then proceeded to lead them away from his hut, and Harry thought for one moment that they were going into the Forbidden Forest, which he wasn't particularly interested in. His previous experiences of it gave him a strong sense of foreboding, but to his great relief Hagrid took them along the edge of the Forest and to a paddock of sorts. Only that the paddock was empty.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence, here!" Hagrid ordered, "Now, firs' thing yeh do is ter open yer books – "

"How?" sounded a drawling voice from Harry's left.

He turned and saw Malfoy looking at Hagrid with great scepticism.

"Huh?" Hagrid asked, looking confused.

"How do you open the books," Malfoy said slowly, as if Hagrid would have trouble understanding him. Harry noticed that he was not the only one curious about that explanation. His own had been securely strapped shut with uncle Vernon's old belt, and was still wriggling with dismay in his arms. Neville's had managed to break free of its binds of spellotape, and Neville had managed to trap it by standing on it. Hagrid, however, looked startled. It was a hitch that he obviously hadn't expected.

"Hasn't anybody bin able ter open their books?" he asked, crestfallen.

The response was negative all over; Harry shook his head sadly at Hagrid. He sincerely wished he'd been able to do it, only to lighten up his big friend just a little.

"Yeh've got to stroke 'em," Hagrid said and took Hermione's book out of her hands. He ripped away the spellotape, which allowed the book to attempt to bite him, but Hagrid ran a great finger down the back of it, causing it to shiver, and then fall open and lie quietly in his hands.

"Oh, that's silly of us!" Malfoy snapped, "we should have stroked them! Anyone could have guessed that!"

"Shut up, Malfoy. Haven't you heard the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover'?"

Malfoy stared at him, his face in the familiar snare, but with hesitance in his grey eyes. Harry had an urge to read his mind, but friend or foe, still didn't want to invade anyone's privacy. He wished Ginny was there to read his emotions instead.

"I-I thought they were funny," Hagrid admitted, stuttering nervously.

Malfoy looked like he wanted to give him a snide reply, but Harry noticed him doing a discrete sideways glance and changed his mind. Hagrid then left them waiting by the fence, and left. He soon returned with some bizzarre creatures with an equine hind and an eagle's front. They had steel-coloured beaks, and large, orange eyes that watched the students scruintizingly. Their feet had claws so long and sharp that Harry was certain that a swipe of them could be deadly.

After Hagrid gave them an introduction about hippogriffs, Harry volunteered to be the first to have a go at one, so he managed to earn a bow from Buckbeak, and even go for a fly with him. Then the rest of the group had a go at the rest of the herd. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle took over Buckbeak after Harry was done with him. Malfoy had received a bow, and was patting his beak with disdain.

"This is very easy," he drawled, loud enough for Harry to hear, who stood near Buckbeak's shoulder. "I knew it must've been, if Potter could do it. I bet you aren't dangerous at all, are you, you great, ugly brute?"

Harry recognized the avian eyes flaring up with anger, and a muscle twitch in the creature's shoulder before he dove forward and shoved Malfoy out of the way. The next moment a sharp pain flared up on his back, causing him to scream, and Buckbeak backed off on his own accord. Hermione later claimed he looked ashamed.

The next thing Harry knew, he was being lifted off the ground and the grass moved surprisingly fast underneath him, even for a speed Hagrid's long legs could manage. His vision started to fade out as he recognized the stone floors of the corridors inside the castle.

Everything turned black for what seemed like only a moment, as if he had taken a short nap. He woke up to a familiar voice. He blinked against the bright light and found himself lying on his stomach on the crisp, white sheets of the beds in the Hospital Wing. The familiar form of Ginny was leaning over him, talking to Madam Pomfrey.

"… been tested many times! I am not stupid, Madam Pomfrey, and Harry knew what he was doing when we made it. Do you really think I would use anything on my husband that had even the slightest chance of being ineffective or bad for him?" Her voice was testy and angry; Harry definitely didn't envy Madam Pomfrey right now.

Ginny was dripping some sort of potion on his back, which was stinging painfully. The hissing noises allowed him to recognize the potion as one of their experiments; it had been tested on multiple harmed rodents which they supervised for a long time afterwards, and even a deer before they even dared use it on Fred when he had torn up his shoulder on a thorn while playing in the forest outside Potter Palace.

"No, of course, I don't, Mrs. Potter; it is only that it is an experiment, which is not approved by a professional healer, and it is made by a thirteen-year-old and a twelve-year-old!" Madam Pomfrey's voice spoke, sounding indignant.

Harry turned his head stiffly and saw her watching Ginny carefully. Unfortunately, his barriers had fallen, and a wave of confused thoughts crashed into him. There were hesitance, but then there were others; Madam Pomfrey would never admit out loud that she was impressed by the skills of a twelve years old little witch, but here it was, plain as ink on parchment.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed and hugged him, her lips pressing against his cheek. "You great git! Why did you have to take one for Malfoy of all? He'd deserve that gash; you don't!"

"Yeah, and he would also give Hagrid trouble. I won't. It's not Hagrid's fault," Harry replied hoarsely, "how long have I been out?"

"Fifteen mintues," Ginny said, "I came here as soon as I could."

"Where – " Harry startled when the door to the Hospital Wing was suddenly banged open, and Hermione and Ron came sprinting through the room.

"Harry!" Ron said, slidding to ha stop before he leaned against Harry's bed, panting. "Are you alright? Why the bloody hell did you have to step in for Malfoy?"

"Did he hurt you badly, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously. She leaned over to see where Ginny was tending to his wounds, and wrinkled her nose.

"What I don't understand, Mrs. Potter," Madam Pomfrey began, "is why you insist on using that potion. Have you no faith in me?"

"It's the level of trust that I put into this potion, Madam Pomfrey," Ginny said without looking up. She dripped a few more drops on Harry's back and sat back to admire her work. "As you can see, it heals instantly, leaving no scars. Do you know of any other potion with that effect?"

Madam Pomfrey hesitated and thought for a while. "Not one that heals immediately, no," she admitted at last.

"There you go. And besides, I know, thanks to Harry, exactly how this potion works. Any magical trace is gone once the wound is healed, and leaves out the possibility of unwanted effects," she explained.

"Very well. I will, however, ask Professor Snape to look at it – and no, I won't tell him your secret," Madam Pomfrey said when she saw Harry's alarmed look. If she told Snape how Harry had been able to understand and read the magic of the potions he made, he would be in great trouble. Not only would Snape most likely make his life a living hell; he could potentially blab to Dumbledore, or worse; Voldemort. She stepped over, waved her wand over Harry's back a few times before she dismissed them all and strode out of the room with the bottle that contained the potion.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione left the Hospital Wing for the common room.

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry asked as he shut the door behind him. "I would think he was waiting for any sort of verdict from Madam Pomfrey?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, pausing in the middle of the corridor. "He was taking away the hippogriffs when we left. He's not even been up at the castle today."

Harry felt confused. "But then who brought me to the Hospital Wing?"

"Buckbeak."

He stared dumbly at Hermione, as if she'd grown another head. "Huh?"

"Buckbeak brought you up after he hurt you. He looked ashamed of himself for hurting you; you should have seen it, Harry."

"He was right outside the entrance to the castle when we arrived. Looked really depressed, he did. I had no idea animals could do that. I mean… they're just animals, aren't they?" Ron said, frowning and lead them on down the corridor, past the few paintings that adorned the walls.

"Obviously, hippogriffs are intelligent animals, Ron," Ginny said and towed Harry in a different direction, towards the entrance. They encountered the fifth years heading inside from their Herbology class, amongst them, Fred and George.

"What's this we heard about hippogriffs, dear brother-in-law?" George asked as he flung an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"A couple of Slytherins were spreading rumors," Fred said, "not that we believe them, of course."

"Does it perhaps have anything to do with that great grey one outside?" George raised a brow at Harry, who jogged down the marble staircase at Ginny's heels.

"Malfoy provoked Buckbeak to attack him," Ron said, "bloody git didn't listen to Hagrid's warnings, of course. He called Buckbeak an ugly brute. Of course Buckbeak wanted to hurt him! Who wouldn't?"

Just as Hermione and the twins had said, Buckbeak lay outside, near the entrance, his head resting on his front feet, his previous proud carriage having disappeared. His eyes were dull and staring into the air; he seemed generally careless about everything that happened around him.

Harry stepped into his field of vision and bowed, looking at him without blinking, like Hagrid had taught him. Buckbeak bowed quickly in returned, squawked and stretched out his head towards him. Dropping on his knees in front of him, Harry gently stroked his beak, but he was more interested in nudging him everywhere, particularly on his back, to make sure he was alright.

"What's with you and animals, Harry?" Ron wondered. He sat down on the grass and leaned back against the castle wall, tugging at a few straws of grass. "First Triomphe, now Buckbeak?"

"Harry has a knack for saving animals as well as poor girls in need, you see, Ron," Ginny pointed out and smiled teasingly at her brother.

"He didn't save Buckbeak," Ron reminded her, throwing a fistful of grass in her direction. It scattered and fell to the ground before it reached halfway.

She cocked her head and raised a brow at him. "What do you think would have happened if Buckbeak had hit Malfoy instead? Malfoy would _of course_ have gone to his father, who would have demanded Buckbeak killed or something, and probably tried to have Hagrid fired too. Now, though, he won't care enough to even mention it to Malfoy sr.," she reasoned.

"Dumbledore wouldn't fire Hagrid," Ron said, "besides, I think he really did well today; it's not his fault that Malfoy's a git."

They sat with Buckbeak for a while, and even Fred and George sat with them and discussed their classes. Being in fifth year, they were to take their O. , but they didn't envision a career in the Ministry, like Mrs. Weasley hoped they would. No, their greatest dream was to start their own joke shop.

After nearly an hour the familiar figure of Albus Dumbledore exiting the castle. Harry froze in surprise, and tried to hide behind Buckbeak, who happily joined in on his plan and nearly lay down on top of him. Dumbledore beamed when he caught sight of the group of friends.

"Ah! I was looking for you, Mrs. Potter," he said as he paused in front of them, wearing a pleasant smile on his face.

Ginny, however, wasn't as easily bought, and returned it with a sceptical smile of her own. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No, no. Not at all. Where might your husband be? I would rather wish to speak with him," he said casually.

"Don't know, sir. I think he went to the loo," Ginny said dismissively, trying to look nonchalant.

"Well, then I was hoping to have a word with you in private," Dumbledore said. His hands were buried inside his pockets, where his wand undoubtedy was. Ginny knew something questionable was coming, most likely another attempt to separate her from Harry, and definitely didn't want to go.

Her reluctance was obviously visible, because Hermione leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Go. Harry'll have your back."

She nodded weakly and stood, following Dumbledore down towards the lake, past several groups of students who were enjoying the last days of summer, amongst others Draco Malfoy, who was reading a book in the shade of an oak tree. Ginny reckoned that the sun could definitely do some good for him, who looked like he had been hiding indoors all summer.

In the meantime Harry slipped out from underneath Buckbeak and snuck after them, quietly cursing at himself for forgetting the Cloak in the dormitory. Pulling out his wand he followed Ginny and Dumbledore to a secluded area while he chatted to Ginny about the weather and his plan to buy more socks, since the winter would be rather cold, according to his instruments.

Ginny was glad she wasn't required to say much. They reached a cluster of trees near the water, where bushes hid them from view from the other students, but also hid Harry from them. She felt how he attentively studied the thoughts in Dumbledore's mind and how they changed. He learned with relief that Dumbledore had no idea of their bond, and not of their new sleeping arrangements.

"I must admit that I am concerned about you after last spring's rather dramatic events," Dumbledore said.

"Why, sir? As you can see, I'm perfectly fine."

"Physically, yes, but I do hope the memories aren't tormenting you too much?" Dumbledore said, pretending to be concerned.

"No; I have a fantastic family; they have been invaluable to me in helping me get through the last months," Ginny admitted honestly, letting her gaze drop to study some fallen twigs in between the grass.

"That is good. I know that the Weasleys are great people. Speaking of family, Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore began, his eyes twinkling as he watched her with great curiosity, "how is it that you and Mr. Potter are married this early?"

"Honestly?" Ginny raised a brow at him. Having grown up with six brothers, and two of them the greatest pranksters of Hogwarts' history, her ability to lie was impeccable. "We really have no idea, Sir. Although, we couldn't be happier." She beamed at him, putting up a face of happiness.

"Is that so? Might it occur to you that you have wandered into a trap that you cannot get out of? Mr. Potter is targeted by Voldemort; he will return, I am certain that he will, and once he learns that you are close to Harry, he will target you as well. For your own good, it would be best if you stayed away from him," Dumbledore said gravely, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ginny frowned. "What exactly are you trying to say, sir? Are you accusing Harry of forcing me into the marriage?"

"Oh no, not at all! He is much too noble for that! I only ask you to stay away from him. It is a matter of your own safety, and of sparing him the emotional pain of you being hurt," Dumbledore tried to explain, but Ginny shook her head firmly.

"No, sir; I can't do that. I love Harry; he means the world to me, and if it's true what you say about You-Know-Who returning, he will need all the support that he can get. No, I'm not leaving him."

"Then… I'm sorry that I have to do this, Mrs. Potter, but…" Dumbledore managed to pull his wand and had already cast the memory charm. A well-aimed spell from Harry managed to knock his arm aside, so the spell shot harmlessly into the lake.

Dumbledore looked startled as he whipped around to face his attacker. Harry stepped out of the bushes with a face so filled with hatred that Ginny nearly got frightened herself.

"Mr. Potter!" Dumbledore exclaimed, eyeing Harry's wand warily, the memories from their last encounter fresh in mind, "I thought you were busy."

"I do not appreciate attempts on manipulating my wife's memories, headmaster," Harry said coldly.

Dumbledore did not attack immediately. Instead he backed away, step by step. "Now, now, Mr. Potter; there is no need to jump to conclusions – I'm sure it is only a misunderstanding. I never tried to manipulate her memory!"

"Don't lie to me!" Harry snarled and shot three spells in quick succession. They missed deliberately, but had Dumbledore retreating hastily into the sunlight by the shore of the lake. "You call yourself a headmaster! At a school! Teachers don't try to obliviate their students!" Harry shouted angrily, the air shifting around him like hot air above a black surface, and crackling sounds from what looked like tiny flashes of lightning. The air then grew unnaturally cold, and ice crystals started to form in Harry's foot steps in the grass; rime soon covered the straws completely, and Dumbledore's breath turned to frost smoke. Dumbledore tried to defend himself, but any shields he erected were demolished as if they belonged to a first year. His own offensive spells were blocked effortlessly.

With flash of light, Dumbledore was disarmed, and had do all that he could to avoid being impaled by the next series of curses and hexes that Harry released on him. "You dare hurt my wife again, I will have you dead! Do you hear me? You may not speak to her unless I am with her, and you may not perform any sort of magic on her without accept from both herself and me! I will know! You can't fool me!"

And then Dumbledore was knocked off his feet and lay sprawling on the ground, terrified, with more than twenty students watching with utter shock as their headmaster and supposedly greatest wizard of all times was defeated by a thirteen-year-old.

Then Harry left, and Dumbledore sagged in relief against one of the tree trunks, his eyes forced shut with a conjunctivitis curse and legs stiff due to the leg-locker curse. The students all exchanged looks of hesitance, not really wanting to offer any help after what they had just witnessed.

As the air and the temperature returned to normal, Dumbledore started crawling around, searching for his wand. After some minutes, however, he resorted to having one of the older students summoning it, which she did, but hesitantly, and threw a look in the direction Harry had disappeared with Ginny.


	14. Snape's tale

In the evening they visited Hagrid, who hadn't showed up for dinner, and was clearly drunk when they arrived. He apologized profusely for the damage that Buckbeak had done. Harry assured him over and over that he was alright, and that it wasn't his or Buckbeak's fault.

"If they ask me to press charges against you, I will refuse to do it, because there is no reason to. It's not your fault. You said hippogriffs attack when insulted, and that's what Malfoy did. And Ginny patched me up in less than half an hour," he said.

Harry even showed Hagrid his healed back, and then Hagrid went ahead to put his head in the water barrel and proceeded by yelling at them for being out after dark.

The rumours of Harry's display of magic against Dumbledore had spread like wildfire around the castle, and nearly everyone were throwing him wary looks. This went on until Wednesday, when Ginny took the case in her own hands and declared loudly to the Gryffindor Common Room that Harry did not intend to, or even remotely want to hurt anyone.

"Dumbledore wanted to obliviate me! Harry defended me, and that's that! He wouldn't have attacked Dumbledore unless Dumbledore had attacked me first! Harry is not a dark wizard, Parvati," she said when seeing Parvati Patil's sceptical expression and crossed arms. "Yes, he knows some dark spells, but it's not that who defines whether you are good or bad; it's your choices, your actions, the way you use your knowledge."

Afterwards Harry couldn't help but to give her a hug of pride. "You really didn't have to, but thanks."

"My pleasure," Ginny replied with a satisfied smile. "I just can't stand having people bad-mouthing my husband."

Harry beamed at her and pressed a swift kiss to her lips before they headed upstairs to the dormitory.

Neville was there, lying on his bed with his Potions textbook open.

"How are you doing, Neville?" Harry asked kindly as Ginny disappeared into her bathroom.

"Good. I'm just preparing for class tomorrow," Neville said, looking up.

"Would you like some help?" Harry offered.

"Could you just check that I deciphered the recipe right? I just don't understand how everything works," Neville admitted, a blush creeping into his cheeks.

"That's alright," Harry assured him, and then began to explain to him not only what he had learned from books about each ingredient, but also what he could learn from watching the magic inside each ingredient. Then every change of heat, every stirring and maturation time came into focus, and Neville scribbled so fast there were blotches of black ink on his bed when he finally sat up, his hand cramping.

"Thanks, Harry. Really."

"It's not all of the ingredients, but those are the most used," Harry said, gesturing towards Neville's notes.

"No, it's great. Now my greatest problem is that I'm so clumsy, and I always forget the recipe. Snape really doesn't make it better," Neville admitted.

Harry watched him contemplatingly for a while, trying to think of a way to help his friend. He realized that the poor self-esteem was partly to blame for it; he had heard snippets of how his grandmother had raised him during their two years of sharing dinner table and dorm.

"I think all you need is some practice," Harry said at last. "I'll ask Professor Snape if we could borrow the potions classroom to practice once or twice a week in the evenings."

"Without him there?" Neville asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"Hopefully, yes," Harry smiled.

Minutes later Ginny slipped into bed minutes before Dean and Seamus entered, with Ron following shorty after.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

In Potions the next morning Harry shared desk with Neville when they were brewing the Shrinking Solution. As they worked, Harry studied closely how Neville acted while brewing, and why he found it so difficult to brew correctly. He had at least taken Harry's explanations to heart yesterday, because his daisy roots were cut in perfectly similar size. And then as Snape paused by his cauldron, Harry noticed how his nerves rocketed, and he nearly added the double amount of leech juice. Quickly, Harry grabbed his wrist before the damage was done. Harry could hardly blame him with the rather indefinite recipe on the blackboard; a splash of leech juice. Snape really was trying to get them all into trouble.

"About a teaspoon, only," Harry explained to Neville, who nodded gratefully.

"Longbottom, at the end of this lesson, I will feed a few drops of your potion to your toad. Perhaps that will encourage you do to it correctly. Of if you are so incompetent that you will require Potter hissing instructions into your ear in order to even get through a class unharmed," Snape narrowed his eyes at Neville, whose hands were shaking and almost knocked over his bottle of leech juice. "Perhaps next class I will pair you with Weasley instead?"

Neville didn't respond and tried to stay focused on the task at hand. At the end of the class Snape had them all gather around Harry and Neville's desk and gave Trevor the toad some drops of the green potion. Neville sighed in relief when he turned to a tadpole with a pop.

"Yes, Potter?" Snape snarled when Harry put up his hand to ask a question. He dropped Trevor the tadpole into Neville's hands.

"Exactly how do you adjust the potion to determine how much you want the drinker to shrink, Professor? What if we wanted a toad to turn into an egg, rather than a tadpole, is that possible, hypothetically speaking?" Harry asked, noting how Hermione scrambled to get quill and parchment to take notes.

Snape's cold gaze turned on Harry. "Would you like to make a guess, Mr. Potter?" he asked silkily.

Harry hesitated. In his opinion there could be several ways to alter the recipe to achieve a different age, but he was more unnerved by the flash of uneasiness that he spotted in Snape's eyes when they made eye contact. "I think by adding more rat spleens and stir clockwise rather than counterclockwise before adding the caterpillars, you could strengthen the potion. Or you could use a fistful of finely chopped wormwood instead of daisy roots. But then, you have to add a fistful or less, or else it will turn into a poison, I think."

Snape's brows shot up in badly concealed surprise. "Indeed, it would be a poison." He looked at the rest of the class. "Now, why aren't you copying?" he snapped at them and strode back to his desk.

The class scurried back to their desks to write down Harry's suggestions, asking their classmates for the exact description, if they forgot parts of it.

"Next class we will brew it again, like Potter explained to us. Being able to alter a potion to suit your need is essential to become a good potioneer," Snape said and waved his wand, causing the recipe on the blackboard to vanish. "You are dismissed. Potter, stay."

There was a lot of scrambling and scraping as everybody gathered their things. Harry vanished the potion in his cauldron and used a scouring charm that Ginny had looked up after getting tired of scouring her cauldron at Potter Palace for the hundredth time.

As the class left, Harry looked up to find Snape watching him with a thoughtful look.

"Sir?" Harry asked uncertainly. What could Snape want with him now? He did his potion alright, didn't he? Perhaps this was about how he'd helped Neville?

"I want to know how you suddenly become the best in class. What have you been doing over the holidays, Potter?" Snape asked. The malice in his voice was surprisingly reduced.

"Err… I've been practicing, Sir. At my family estate there's a plethora of potions books in our library, and a potions lab," Harry said.

Snape stared at him for a long time. His face wore an expression of scepticism. "Somehow, I believe there is more to it."

"I'm sorry, sir; I can't tell you," Harry told him honestly. He really wanted to know what was going on in Snape's mind, but no matter how much he loathed the man, it was still an intrusion of privacy, and right now Snape was acting surprisingly civilised to him.

"Does it have anything to do with the fact that you got married over the summer?"

Harry had to fight to keep his face void of emotions, but Snape's satisfied smile told him that he had been unsuccessful.

"I can't tell you, sir," Harry repeated, "you'd tell Dumbledore."

"Would I? How would you know, Potter?" Snape inquired slyly, raising a brow at him.

"You're loyal to him, aren't you?"

Snape sat down on his chair behind his desk, placed his elbows the desk top, folded his hands and rested his chin on top of his knuckles. "What if I told you that I wouldn't tell him?"

"You could be lying for all that I know, sir," Harry said. He sensed Ginny approaching from the other end of the castle, running through the corridors.

"Do you know what Magical Wow is, Potter?"

"Yes, sir, but you would be rather stupid to enter one," Harry said.

"You think so, Mr. Potter?" Snaped asked, staring at him challengingly.

Harry nodded. He was sorely tempted to enter the Potions professor's mind. Ginny urged him on as she stopped outside the door to the Potions class room where Neville, Ron and Hermione were waiting. It was only his own strength of will that prevented him from it, and the next moment Snape drew his wand and pointed it to his heart.

"I, Severus Snape, promise not to reveal to anyone what is mentioned at this hour in this room unless Harry James Potter says otherwise," he said. A golden light disappeared inside Snape's chest, and Harry watched how it stayed inside him, bound to Snape's own magic. The seriousness of it hit him like a shockwave. Snape would be bound with magic that would remove his magic if he broke his promise.

"That was stupid of you," Harry whispered hoarsely, but Snape leaned back and stared at Harry with surprising patience.

He felt trapped. Seeing the expectant stare that Snape directed at him, he knew that he couldn't with good conscience leave without revealing at least something to him, but it made him queasy to reveal any sort of secret to a man that had until very recently treated him with indescribable hate.

"If I have to answer your questions, you will have to answer mine too. Fair is fair," he bargained.

"Very well. Now, talk. How did you suddenly become an above average potioneer?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably and glanced towards the door before he gathered his Gryffindor courage and began to speak. "I can sense magic, sir," he said and watched Snape warily for his reaction.

Snape frowned. "How so?"

"I can feel all the magic in my surroundings; I can determine the purpose of any piece of magic, and when I brew potions I can understand how each element of a recipe affects the potion in a far greater degree than the books can explain. Their explanations are usually very jumbled up and confusing, because it's hard to picture what is going on inside your cauldron until you begin experimenting," Harry explained. "That is what I've been doing over the holidays."

Snape watched him closely. "And it began this summer?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said, nodding.

Then for nearly half a minute Snape stared at him in contemplation until Harry grew uneasy under his gaze and shifted. Snape's hand then disappeared inside one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out the familiar bottle of the healing potion that Harry and Ginny had come up with. He studied Harry's reaction as the corners of his mouth tilted upwards.

"Madam Pomfrey brought this one to me, claiming that it had been brewed by two children. I see that I was right to suspect you and your wife," Snape said. His face was impossible to read, so Harry had no idea of what the potions master thought of their experiment.

"We tested it a lot, sir," he said, attempting to defend himself.

"I am not criticising your abilities, Mr. Potter. It is impressive, if I may say so." Snape opened the bottle and smelled at it. "Knotgrass, legs of axolotl, newt eyes amongst others…" he looked at Harry, "and something that I am unfamiliar with… might it be stardust?"

"Err, no, sir. Perhaps what you notice are the leaves from a Winter Willow?" Harry asked, and noticed how Snape stiffened.

"What did you call it?" He demanded, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Winter Willow, sir."

Snape's gaze darkened, and his face twisted in annoyance, "don't try to fool me, Potter! Winter Willows don't exist! It's a pure myth!"

"It's not, sir," Harry said, trying to stay calm. He did not want to return the aggression with his own, and make it worse. Instead he went back to his desk and started to rummage into his and Ginny's ingredient bag, which they switched on bringing to Potions class. He pulled out a jar of leaves that looked as though they were covered with rime and placed it on the desk in front of Snape, who eyed it apprehensively. "If that's not Winter Willow, then what is it? Because it works brilliantly in the potion."

Snape snatched the jar and opened the lid, poking his large, hooked nose into the jar and inhaled before Harry could stop him.

"Wait, sir, you shouldn't – "

But it was too late. Snape started to sway on his chair before he fell out of it and collapsed on the floor, out cold. Harry sighed in frustration.

 _Huh!_ Ginny sniffed and entered the room, _if he knew anything about Winter Willows he should have known not to do that!_

Behind her, Hermione, Ron and Neville followed, wary and careful, not knowing that Snape was unconscious. Harry was already busy with his hand farther into his potions bag than one could think possible. After a few seconds he pulled out a scarlet potion, which seemed to bubble inside its bottle. He uncorked it and moved over to Snape, who was gasping heavily for breath on the floor, shivering, and his lips turning blue.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, seeing her professor lying on the floor, clearly struggling.

Neither Harry, nor Ginny answered. Ginny was busy muttering a spell that had Snape's face glow like burning charcoal, and Harry emptied half of the red, boiling potion down his throat. Snape drew a loud, raspy breath before he fell quiet, and his labored breathing eased out. Harry joined Ginny using the spell, and the glow spread out until it turned bright yellow and vanished.

A few seconds passed before Snape's black eyes open, and startled at the sight of the children hovering above him.

"You should have thought better than to even be that near leaves of Winter Willows, sir," Ginny reprimanded him, looking uncannily similar to Mrs. Weasley, "honestly, it is your subject; you're the Potions Professor."

Harry pulled Snape up on shaky legs and into the chair before putting the lid on the jar of leaved. After he had placed it back in the bag along with the red potion, he looked at Snape, who stared down on the desk top, looking surprisingly ashamed, according to Ginny.

"Why?" Harry asked.

There was a long silence before Snape sighed lowly. "I didn't think it was what it was. I am not proud to say that I have underestimated you, Potter. Your father was an obnoxious bully. I jumped to conclusions and viewed you like him. Your mother, however, was one of my best friends. She was brilliant at potions. I was blind to it, due to my disagreements with your father, but you are strikingly like her in personality. She was kind, witty and rather hot-tempered. I found myself being at the receiving end of it several times." He seemed to disappear into his memories for a while.

Ginny watched him with a slight sense of awe. Their normally cold and angry professor was plagued by regret, longing, grief and lots and lots of pain. The flashes of happiness and joy were rare and far between, and she felt a little sorry for him.

"Did she hurt you?" she asked, catching Snape by surprise.

"Lily? Oh, whatever grief she brought upon me, I deserved every little bit of," Snape admitted lowly, not looking at any of them. He didn't even seem to notice Neville, Ron and Hermione, all three of them looking like they were about to burst with questions.

"Is my dad why you hate me?" Harry asked.

Snape's eyes found his. They turned hard and cold for a moment, before a resigned look overtook him, and he nodded. "We were just as good friends as you and Draco Malfoy." There was another long pause as Snape hesitated. Ginny saw an internal debate; he was arguing fiercely with himself whether or not to tell. "I… I was young and foolish; I was very much involved with the Dark Arts, and Lily was not happy with me for it. Our friendship ended because of my foolishness. Even worse, it put her, and you too, in danger years later. I became a Death Eater."

Ron jumped out of the chair he had taken, and reached for his wand. "You – you – " he began, but Hermione had pushed him forcefully back down and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Shut it!" she hissed, and held him firmly. Ron calmed down, but looked murderous as he glared at Snape.

"It is not a decision that I'm proud of, and one that I much regret today. One day I was out spying for the Dark Lord. Dumbledore was having an interview with a potential candidate for Divination – Professor Trelawney, at the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade. Dumbledore only agreed for politeness. He didn't think she was a seer, and he wanted to discontinue Divination as a subject. But as luck would have it, she made a prophecy that day. I heard only part of it, but it was about a child that would have the power to defeat the Dark Lord, and who would be marked as his equal." Snape lifted a trembling hand and pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry knew he could tell Snape the whole prophecy now, but he wanted to hear more. He wanted to know what had happened.

"So I ran to tell the Dark Lord as soon as I could, not even pausing to consider who it was, even though I knew that Lily was due with a child in the end of July, like the prophecy foretold. It did not even occur to me that it was her child that it was about. When I learned who it was about, I begged him to spare her, but he wouldn't listen. So I went to Dumbledore. He was disgusted with me. Who wouldn't be? But I asked him to protect her, to save her. The Potters went into hiding. I suppose Pettigrew is as much to blame as myself for what happened, but…" Snape had his head in his hands, his voice shaking and his face hidden from view. Harry didn't say a word. He could ask afterwards. If he interrupted now, he was afraid he would never hear the whole story. Beside him, Ginny was nearly in tears by the guilt and sadness that had tormented the man in front of them for so long. Harry reached out to take her hand, which she took, holding it firmly.

"I was devastated. Couldn't eat. Couldn't sleep. But Dumbledore urged me to go on and make sure she didn't die in vain. He asked me to protect you. To make sure you grew up to defeat the Dark Lord. It was your destiny, he told me." Snape looked up when Ron made an angry hissing noise and muttered darkly under his breath. "He offered me the position as Potions Master at Hogwarts. He vouched for me when the Death Eaters were rounded up. He offered me a place to stay and a job when no-one else did."

"That's why you saved Harry at the Quidditch game his first year, wasn't it?" Ginny asked, sniffling softly, "that's why you went after Quirrel, right? You knew he was after Harry."

Harry touched her hand comfortingly, knowing that she as an empath, sucked in every emotion from another person like water to a sponge.

Snape nodded weakly. "I tried. But your husband's got more between his ears than he lets on."

Harry snorted in laughter at that; he couldn't help himself. A compliment from Snape would naturally be disguised as an insult, even though this was a weak one. This earned him a look from Snape.

"You told her everything?"

Harry bit his lip. "Not exactly." He looked around at the others, who stared back in wonder. "Ginny and I are soulbound. That's how she knows. She can see all of my memories."

Snape gaped several times before he managed to utter hoarsely, "Soulbound?"

"Yes, and like the Winter Willow, that is not a myth either. That's how we're married."

Realization dawned upon him, and Snape straightened a little bit. "It would also explain your attacking Dumbledore. I was not aware that he could sink low enough to attempt to obliviate you, Mrs. Potter. Draco told me. He was rather stunned."

Anger towards Dumbledore filled his chest again, but Harry suppressed it and remained silent.

"Tell him the other one too, Harry," Hermione said, "he should know; perhaps he could help."

Harry didn't have to ask what she was referring to. Snape, on the other hand, looked intrigued, and looked from Harry to Hermione with great curiosity. Harry recited Trelawney's second prophecy for him.

"How did you hear about it? Both of them, for that matter. Have you been in the Hall of Prophecies?" Snape asked.

Harry frowned and shook his head. "I don't know what the Hall of Prophecies is, and I'm fairly certain that I've never been there. The bond gave me the gift of mind-reading. I used it on Dumbledore when we exited the Chamber last spring, after Ginny urged me. She's an empath, so she spotted suspicious emotions. Dumbledore plans for himself to be my Right Hand, and that's why he is trying to get Ginny to stay away from me. He wants to make sure that I kill Voldemort his way, and according to him and Trelawney's first prophecy, it requires my sacrifice. It doesn't anymore, though, but Dumbledore doesn't know that."

"Your sacrifice?" Snape inquired, leaning forward as he stared at Harry intently with his black eyes. "He expects you to be killed? He had me protect you only so you could die in the end?" he snarled, his voice once again as cold as ice.

"Yup." With help from Hermione and Ginny, Harry told him about the Horcruxes, now confident that Snape would not use the information against them. In half an hour, their opinions of Potions Master Severus Snape, slimy git extraordinaire, had been turned upside down and backwards forth, and with their new knowledge, they could not ignore that Snape's knowledge and ability to gather information would be useful.

They told him about their hunt, and how Harry and Ginny had combated the Horcrux within Harry. "We are at a loss right now, though," Harry admitted at last. "We are missing two, if Slughorn's memory is anything to go by. Do you have any idea, perhaps, sir?"

Snape leaned against the back of his chair, looking thoughtful. "You said there was his diary, Slytherin's locket, Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's ring, and then you… it sounds like he's fond of old trinkets from the founders. There is Gryffindor and Ravenclaw missing, though, but since Gryffindor's sword is out of the question, I would have suggested Ravenclaw's lost diadem, only that it is exactly that; lost," he said.

"But he did have a knack of digging information out of people, didn't he?" Ginny reminded them.

"Perhaps any of the ghosts know anything? They've been wandering the castle for Merlin knows how long; one of them might have picked up on something about it," Neville suggested, "Sir Nicholas once told me during my first year while I was looking for the Charms classroom, that some of them had died during the Founders' time, or at least shortly after."

"Did he say anyone specific?" Hermione asked, turning on the desk she was sitting on to look at him.

"Uhmm…" he muttered, thinking hard, "I think he mentioned the Bloody Baron. And that Ravenclaw ghost… the Grey Lady. And possibly the Fat Friar, but he said he wasn't completely sure when the Fat Friar died. Oh, and Peeves! But I doubt we will get much out of him."

A loud, rumbling sound had everyone turn and look at Ron, whose ears turned pink.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Well, it is dinnertime," Neville pointed out, looking hopeful.

"Yeah, we should probably go," Harry said and stood.

"Potter," Snape said, standing as well. Harry glanced at him.

"Yes, sir?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't blab around with what we have discussed here. I would be in an awful lot of trouble if the Dark Lord learned, and he might try to press me for information when he returns. That is not mentioning what Dumbledore would do. That goes for the rest of you too."

There were nods of agreement. "We won't tell, sir," Ron said, with a surprising amount of respect for the man he had loathed not long ago. It earned him a curious look from Ginny.

"What? He might've unwittingly been to blame for the Potters' deaths, but at least he's trying to make up for it," Ron said. Hermione beamed proudly at him and followed him towards the door.

"Oh, and professor?" Harry suddenly remembered something, "I was wondering if Neville and I could borrow the classroom to practice brewing potions once or twice a week?"

"I trust you know the rules of security, then, Potter? Be careful with anything that goes awry. I don't want to get an earful from Madam Pomfrey after you've had to be treated for the ill effects of a potion you lost control of," Snape said, eyeing Harry sternly.

"Don't worry, sir," Ginny assured him, "Harry knows what he's doing, "you know that." She gestured towards their home-made healing potion in the desk.

Snape then receded and nodded, waving them out of the room.

"Harry, what happened with Snape?" Hermione asked immediately, "why did he faint?"

"Those leaves were of the Winter Willow; it's a magical tree, which releases some sort of gas, I think, which when inhaled, will start to freeze your body from the inside of you your lungs. We had to harvest it while using a bubble-head charm, which was awfully difficult," Harry explained. "The potion and the healing spells are even harder. We practiced a lot until we got it right. We didn't dare approach the tree otherwise."

"But Snape's a potions professor; how could he not know?" Ron asked incredulously.

"I don't think he believed us. He probably thought that the Winter Willow was a myth. But still, it was not very farsighted of him."

Having missed most of lunch, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville had to hurry make it to Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Ginny left for Herbology, her well-used dragonhide gloves in hand. Harry opted on buying a new pair for her for Christmas.

Professor Lupin was absent when they reached the classroom. The four of them took seats near the front, rather curious about Sirius' friend, and pulled out, quills, ink, books and parchment, ready to take notes for the class. Hermione and Neville were discussing the advantages of having bottleweed in gardens infested by gnomes, and Ron was just adding a comment about growing it at the Burrow when Professor Lupin entered.

He looked far better than he had on the train, Harry thought; as if he had eaten well in the meantime, which he probably had. He was still rather shabby-looking, though. Ginny reckoned that if Sirius had as much money as he said he did, he ought to have bought his friend some better clothes.

"Good afternoon class," Professor Lupin said kindly, "you can put away your books; today will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wand."

Excited whispers spread around the classroom. Neither Quirrel nor Lockhart had given them a practical lesson before, if you didn't count the Cornish Pixies, which only taught them that Pixies were a nuisance. There was some rustling as the class put away their things again.

"Right, then. If you will follow me."

Everyone stood and followed him, puzzled, but intrigued, out of the classroom and down the deserted corridor and around a corner, where they encountered none other than Peeves, who was stuffing chewing gum inside a key hole. Professor Lupin showed them a handy spell that had the gum shooting into Peeves' nose and sent him hurrying away, muttering angrily.

The class looked at Professor Lupin with new-found respect, and he lead them on to the staff room. "Inside, please!" he said, opening the door for them.

The only one inside was Snape, who was relaxing in an arm chair, half asleep. He opened one eye at the noise of the class, but said nothing, instead watching quietly from his corner as Professor Lupin gathered the class in front of an old wardrobe at the end of the room. As he went to stand in front of it, the wardrobe wobbled and banged off the wall. Whatever was in there, Harry was very interested on seeing.

"Can you see what it is, Harry?" Hermione whispered into his ear.

"A shapeshifting creature of sorts, I think. It's not dangerous, really," Harry said, speaking softly, but Professor Lupin had still heard him. Harry wondered if a werewolf adopted animalistic senses as humans too. He decided to ask Professor Lupin about it later.

"That's right, Harry. Inside this wardrobe is a boggart, and like Harry said, it is not dangerous. It protects itself by shifting into the form that it thinks will frighten you the most. They like dark, enclosed spaces; wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks, and I've even encountered one that had found itself at home inside a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday evening, and I asked the Headmaster if he could let it be, so my third years could have a go at it."

Professor Lupin briefly introduced them to the defence against a boggart, and then asked Neville to make the first attempt. Having two Snapes in the same room was disconcerning, Harry decided, and glanced sideways at the real Professor Snape, who wore an uncharacteristic frown on his face as he watched Neville's boggart. It quickly turned into dismay when Professor Lupin had Neville imagining his grandmother's clothes when casting the _Riddikulus_. No student dared to laugh, however, and threw anxious looks towards Snape, whose face was indifferent, but Harry was certain that he had spotted a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

One by one each student had a go at the boggart, and it changed from a mummy to a banshee to a bodyless hand and a spider, in Ron's case. Before he knew it, Harry was in front, and the boggart shifted. He had prepared himself. He was fairly certain what it would turn into, but when it did, every reasonable thought fled his mind.

The sight before him made him feel like a hard punch had knocked the air out of him, and his heart pound one hundred thousand miles a minute. Ginny's lifeless form lay on the ground in front of him, her empty eyes wide open and staring into the air, blood running from a gash in her head. Her red hair was spread out on the floor like a fan, parts of it dyed crimson by blood. Her pretty, freckled face was ghostly pale; all colour gone.

His hands started shaking, and he panicked. "Ginny! No!" He could not think, he could not move, and his eyes prickled as tears forced their way out and down his face.

 _Harry! Harry, what's going on?_ Ginny's voice broke through his fogged mind, and for a moment he thought it was just his mind playing with him; Ginny lay after all dead on the floor.

" _Riddikulus,_ Harry!" Ron's voice came from the sideline, loudly, "It's a boggart! Ginny's in the greenhouses; you know it! You can feel her!"

Harry tried to think of something funny. "R-Riddikulus!" Harry tried faintly. The Boggart-Ginny on the floor didn't react. "Riddikulus!" he repeated, more firmly. There was a loud crack, and the dead Ginny vanished. In her place was another Ginny, very much alive, beaming brilliantly at him and wearing a clown's nose, which she squeezed with a look of mischief in her eyes. It gave a loud squeak, which had the class laughing.

Even if it wasn't the real Ginny, her happy smile eased the fear out of him. He sighed and allowed Ron to lead him aside with a hand on his shoulder while Neville finished it off confidently, and Professor Lupin began to award points to the class.

The class was talking excitedly on their way out of the staff room and back to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom to get their schoolbags. Harry, however, had his mind elsewhere. Ron and Hermione were flanking him supportively.

"You're pale, Harry. Are you sure you're alright? Should we step by the Hospital Wing?" Hermione suggested, looking at him worriedly.

Harry quickly shook his head, but remained quiet on the way to the library, since Hermione insisted they should do homework. He doubted that he would manage to do much; his stomach felt a little queasy still.

Ginny found them by one of the tables by the Charms section. She sat down beside Harry, who looked up from his still empty parchment, where he was trying to write an essay about two different Ministers for Magic of their own choosing, and gave him a gentle kiss.

He gave her a faint smile and hugged her. While the distress didn't disappear completely, it helped a lot to have her there, and he was able to write a decent essay, he thought.

Everyone came to favourize the Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin. Luckily for Harry, they didn't revisit the staffroom, and instead worked on redcaps and kappas. No-one cared anymore about his frayed and worn robes. Only Malfoy and his band of Slytherins wrinkled their noss in disgust.

"Look at him! He dresses like our old house-elf!"

"Well, at least he's smart and knowledgeable, Malfoy, and that's more than what we can say about you!" Ginny snapped, glaring at him.

Malfoy stepped towards her, watching her as if he was king, and she a lowly servant, "Well, I suppose that's why you defend him, eh, Weaslette? Because your family can't afford clothes better than Professor Lupin?" Then he grinned evilly, "at least you made a clever decision to marry into a wealthy family. Does your _husband_ know that you married him only for the money?"

"Leave him alone! I couldn't care less if he didn't have a single knut! Unlike you, Harry's got a brain! Your skull is as empty as Ron's stomach!" she snorted.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and was about to reply when Harry stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. His hard gaze met Malfoy's, who snarled back.

"You think the world is black and white, Malfoy? Raised in your great manor with endless amounts of gold? Open your eyes. Making a judgement on basis of one's clothes or what you can see on the outside is what we call prejudice. Familiar with the term?"

Malfoy watched him unmovingly, his hateful sneer like a mask over the turmoil of emotions that his eyes unveiled. Ginny's hand found Harry's where it rested on her shoulder. She hid a smile when she noticed uncertainty aimed towards Harry. Malfoy was obviously not nearly as strong and untouchable as he appeared to be.

"Try to look beyond the looks, beyond the blood and the money, and you might find that people you deemed as stupid, are not at all that." Harry raised a brow at him. "Although, I gather that the Malfoys are very familiar with masking the truth, am I right?"

A flash of panic appeared in Malfoy's eyes, and he hurriedly stalked away, his friends following rather confusedly.

"What's up with him?" Hermione wondered as they moved on towards the Gryffindor Tower, "he didn't even try to insult you. Or, at least not to your face."

"Underneath that cold, superior mask of him, Malfoy is terrified of Harry," Ginny said gleefully, sounding like a child who has found her mother's hiding place for Christmas presents, "no idea why. He might've seen you take out Dumbledore." She glanced at Harry for confirmation, "he was there after all."

"He saw me destroy that Dementor on the train too. A family leaning towards the Dark Arts like the Malfoys would undoubtedly know about the immortality of Dementors," Harry reasoned.

"So when he's too much of a coward to insult Harry personally, he takes it out on Ginny? What a piece of shit!" Ron growled angrily, and Neville pushed him in the back to keep him from turning and beat Malfoy to a pulp.

They made it back to the common room without any major incidents. Nearly the whole house was gathered around the battered, old bulletin board, where a new notice was hung up. Ginny, being the smallest of the five, snuck in between the other students and emerged by the board.

 _Hogsmeade weekend for thirds years and up!_ She declared, and Hary quickly relayed on the information.

"Oh! Great! Fred and George always talk about Honeydukes; that's supposed to be the candy shop!" Ron declared.

"What if Pettigrew is there? He could sneak in couldn't he?" Hermione asked.

"With the Dementors?" Ron wondered, "he'd be stupid to try to do anything in Hogsmeade. Everyone would see him, and there would be lots of people who could catch him."

"According to Sirius, Pettigrew is rather dimwitted," Harry said, "never got good grades or anything."

"You don't need good grades to be clever, Harry," Ginny said, having returned, "just look at Fred and George."

"What's that – "

" – we're hearing – "

" – about us, ickle Gin-Gin?"

Fred and George appeared behind her suddenly, causing her to startle. She whipped around and stared at them with a stern expression, putting her hands to her hips. In that moment Harry had no problem seeing the similarity between her and her mother. "Stop doing that! If you must, go do it on Malfoy! He deserves it!"

"Ooo!" George teased, "what's he done now?"

"Stepped on your toes?"

"Nicked your books?"

"Insulted our favourite brother-in-law?"

"Bingo," Ginny said, scowling.

"Hey, I'm your only brother-in-law," Harry said indignantly.

"Even more the reason for you to be our favourite, then!" Fred said cheerfully. "Now, seriously, Ginny; when does Malfoy not insult Harry?"

"To his face!" Ginny retorted hotly. "He's too much of a coward!"

"What's this, Gred?"

"Can't believe it, Forge!"

"Malfoy's a coward!"

"Could never believe that!"

"Well, it's true!" Ginny huffed, "I saw it!"

Fred and George eyed her with mischief. "You mean, saw it – "

" – Or _saw_ it?"

Ginny merely glared at them and sank down on the floor between Harry's legs, who had found a place in an armchair by the fireplace, before digging through his schoolbag until she found some parchment, one of his quills and his One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. It poked halfway out of a large hole in the side of his schoolbag.

"Why didn't we get a new bag for you this summer, Harry?" she pondered and withdrew her wand, muttering a mending charm.

"Because I like that bag. I don't want a new one."

"So you're just going to keep mending it?" she asked, raising a brow at him.

He shrugged. "Yeah."

Ginny shook her head with resignation and began on her essay on the usages of Aconite in the Giggling Draught.

"Harry, you're going to Hogsmeade too, aren't you?" Ron asked, looking hopefully at his best mate.

"Err… I never got a permission form," Harry admitted, "besides, who'd sign it? Sirius?"

"So you're not going?" Ron frowned disappointedly.

"I don't think they can stop me. I'm of majority, so I don't have a guardian."

"Can Ginny come too?" Hermione wondered, sharing a hopeful look with Ginny.

"It's for third years and up, but it probably doesn't hurt to ask Professor McGonagall," Harry said.


	15. One step closer

On Monday Harry and Neville borrowed the Potions classroom after dinner. The class earlier in the day had gone surprisingly well for Neville. Harry supposed hearing Snape's story and seeing him in such a different state quelled some of the original fear that Neville had possessed for him. They hadn't brewed anything that day, but they had studied antidotes under Snape's usual cool demeanor.

"We are making the Drink of Hyperactivity," Harry said and opened an unfamiliar potions book on a marked page. He began with having Neville explain the ingredients of the potion.

"And then why do we heat it at the end? Why exactly then?" Harry asked.

"Because the dragonfly wings require heating if they are to properly mix with pomegranate juice, which is particularly resistant when used in potions. You have to treat it just so. That's why we usually mix it with a few drops of water from boiled aconite."

"Great. Should we get started, then?"

Neville nodded and began to prepare the ingredients. Harry thought Neville did well, especially when he remembered to double-check the recipe, and were more accurate in his measures. Harry helped him untangling any misunderstandings that the recipe caused.

"'Add a few drops of dragon blood', it says," Harry pointed at the text, "'The potion should look mossy green at this stage.'"

"So, since you've never brewed the potion before, you could add one drop and see how it turns out, and then the next until you get the right colour. When it says 'a few', I have figured that it is generally not more than five."

"But why does it say 'a few'? Why isn't it three? Or four?" Neville asked, looking frustrated.

"Why do you think? What could possibly be the reason why it is not constant?" Harry challenged him.

Neville stared into his potion thoughtfully, and then at the recipe. "Because the strength of the pomegranate depends on the ripeness, and the dragon blood is different between breeds."

"Good. I agree with you," Harry said, and smiled when Neville's face lit up.

They went on brewing until it finished, and it was lime green, and gave each other a high-five for the success.

On the way back to the Gryffindor Common Room they came across the Grey Lady in the corridor leading away from the dungeon. They ran to catch up with her.

"You are the Grey Lady, right?" Harry asked.

The woman turned. She looked haughty and proud, and could potentially had been very pretty with her waist-long hair and long cloak. "Yes."

"We are looking for an item that one very dark wizard by name Tom Riddle has put a part of his soul in, and to prevent another war, we have to kill that piece of soul. Ravenclaw's Diadem; do you know of it?" Neville said, braving himself to speak to the lady that intimidated him a little.

Recognition gleamed in the Lady's eyes for a short moment before they turned cold again. "I know of nothing of the sort," she declared, and was about to leave.

"So you want a new war, do you? Voldemort will return, and unless we can destroy that piece of soul, he _will_ with certainty start another bloody war!" Harry told her, his temper flaring up. Too much was on stake to let her go when he got even such a tiny clue that she might know only a little bit. "Do you want him to kill innocent people, perhaps? Do you want him to kill countless muggles? I know that you know something!"

The Grey Lady paused and looked at him, her face indignant, "Do not attempt to blame any of _his_ doings on me!" she snapped testily.

"I am not trying to blame you for anything! I only ask you to help me to destroy the darkest wizard of all time before he destroys us!" Harry shouted back, now angry for real. Beside him, Neville shot him wary looks.

 _You won't get anything if you keep shouting, Harry,_ Ginny told him firmly.

 _You think it'll help if I cuddle her and kindly ask her to tell me?_ Harry snapped back, his temper hanging in a thin thread already.

 _There's something that's called 'in between', you know. And don't take your anger out on me; it's not my fault she won't tell you,_ she replied.

Harry merely snorted and returned his attention to the Grey Lady.

Then, for a long while she stared back at him with indifference. A sense of hopelessness filled Harry as he stared at the stiff woman. "My mother's diadem," she began, startling Harry.

"Your mother's?"

The Lady glared at him, "I am Helena Ravenclaw, if you must know. My mother was the great Rowena Ravenclaw. I stole my mother's diadem" she said in a whisper, her gaze dropping shamefully to the floor. "I wanted to make myself cleverer; it is said that it has the power of intelligence for the bearer – but that is not why you seek it, am I right?"

"No, we don't need intelligence," Neville said, "we've got Hermione."

The Lady gave him a faint nod. "I ran away with the diadem. My mother hid my treachery from her fellow founders. From everybody. And then she fell ill. She sent a man that had loved for a long time after me, because she knew he would not stop until he found me. And he did. In a forest in Albania. He proposed. As every time before, I refused him, and he became violent. The Baron has always been hot-tempered. He killed me. When he calmed a little and realized what he had done, he was filled with such remorse that he killed himself."

"What – what happened to the diadem?" Neville inquired.

"It remained at its hiding place, inside a hollow tree where I had hidden it when I heard the Baron approaching."

"What tree?" Harry asked impatiently. Hopefully, they were on the trail of something, "Could you please define it a little closer?"

"It is of no use. It is not there anymore."

"Right. You told this story to Riddle, didn't you? In the fifties? A handsome, young man, charming, perhaps, and polite?"

"Very much so. He was flattering… he seemed to understand why I wanted the diadem…" the Lady became wrought with guilt, and her stiff and proper demeanor seemed to crack.

Of course Riddle would understand. With his desire to own such unique and special objects, Harry reckoned he sympathesized with the Grey Lady very much. "You weren't the first one he tricked, believe me," Harry assured her. "Do you know what happened to the diadem afterwards?"

The Lady shook her head. "I saw the boy only once after he graduated; he returned to apply for a job here."

"That's what Mr. Slughorn said," Harry muttered to himself.

"You really think it's at Hogwarts, Harry?" Neville wondered.

"It was his first home, like it was to me. It would be odd if he didn't hide one here," Harry reasoned before looking at the Grey Lady. "Thank you so much for your help. It's the proof we need."

He led Neville on towards the Gryffindor common room.

"But where could he hide something like that in a castle full of people?" Neville pondered loudly, "there are no hiding places – the Chamber of Secrets could have been an option…"

"Let's ask Fred and George. They know the castle better than anyone. Perhaps they have an idea," Harry said, and increased his speed.

Neville jogged to catch up with him. "They know about it?" he wondered.

"Yeah. The whole Weasley family knows about it. Plus Hermione and Sirius. And now you and Snape," Harry said and looked up as they reached the Fat Lady's portrait. "Fortuna Major."

"That it is," she responded and swung open.

Neville clambered through, and Harry followed swiftly, dropping his school bag beside the chair Ron sat in on his way over to Fred and George, who were planning and scheming in a far corner of the common room. Ron blinked at him, and then went on writing on his essay.

"Harry!" George exclaimed joyously.

"What can we help such a fine fellar with?"

"Do you need ideas for getting out of Binn's classes?"

"Or perhaps a dungbomb to distract Filch from giving you detention?"

Harry grinned at them. "Neither, but I will ask you if I do. Neville and I confronted the Grey Lady about the Ravenclaw Diadem. You remember we told you on Friday that it might be a Horcrux?"

"Yes. Have you gotten proof?" Fred asked.

"Riddle asked the Grey Lady about it in the fifties. She also mentioned that he had returned to school to apply for a position, like Mr. Slughorn had said," Harry said. "I need to find out where it is, and you two know the castle better than anyone I know. Where would one hide an object one didn't want anyone to find?"

The twins exchanged thoughtful looks.

"There are plenty storerooms around the castle," Fred said. George pulled the Marauder's Map out of his pocket and activated it. He proceeded by pointing at some of the storerooms that the Map showed.

"I don't think it's in an ordinary storeroom," Harry admitted.

George frowned. "Well, if anyone would know, it's the house-elves in the kitchen. We could ask them. They clean every nook and cranny of the castle," he said.

"Good thinking!" Fred exclaimed, "one would think that such a brilliant brain and a handsome face would belong to brother of mine! Oh, wait, it does! How lucky I am!"

Harry snorted in laughter, and Neville grinned widely.

"Show the way, then. No time to lose."

"Right you are, brother-in-law!" George declared and strode ahead to the portrait hole.

Fred hurried after him, and Neville and Harry weren't far behind. They walked quickly to down to the basement and into a large kitchen placed directly below the Great Hall, which one entered by tickling the pear in the painting of a fruit bowl in the basement corridor. Harry could tell even before it opened that it was a door of sorts, but he couldn't immediately tell how to open it. Luckily, Fred and George already knew.

Inside was a vast high-ceilinged room with four long tables, a large fireplace and towering heaps of brass pots and pans along the walls. Hundreds of house-elves were spread around the room, relaxing before they had to leave to clean the castle.

There was an immediate squabble as the elves noticed the visitors, and Harry found small hands pulling at his arms and robes towards a round table in the corner while the rest of the elves beamed, bowed and curtsied, all wearing a tea towel with the Hogwarts symbol sewn in.

"Would Harry Potter sir and his friends like some tea?" one flat-faced male elf squeaked.

"Err…" Recalling Dobby's nature from the year before, he decided he didn't want to hurt them by declining. "Yes, please."

Several elves scurried off to make tea as Neville and the twins were dumped on a chair each, Neville looking around with awe, and the twins watching him with amusement.

"Look, we are looking for something that is supposed to be here at Hogwarts. It's an object that is very dangerous, and whose owner would not want us to find. So he would have hid it at a safe place here. We were wondering if anyone of you knew where we might look?" Harry asked, looking from elf to elf with what he guessed was badly concealed hope.

There was some silence before one elf near the rear spoke up. It was a crooky and rather old elf with watery eyes and knobbly hands. "There is a room that we house-elves call the Come-and-Go Room, sir," the elf began, "it takes form of whatever one would need, and one of those rooms is a room that many students have encountered in a time of need, sir, because that is the only time it opens, and it is the Room of Hidden Things. You will have to search very hard to find what you are searching in there."

"The Room of Hidden Things? It's inside this Come-and-Go room?" Harry asked, sharing confused glances with the twins and Neville.

"Yes, sir. It is more commonly known as the Room of Requirement. It can take the form of any room that one might need. Should Mopey show sirs now?" the elf offered, moving closer between his fellow house-elves.

"Err… yes, perhaps you could?"

Fifteen minutes later they stood inside a cathedral-sized room with the layout like a city and aisles running down between heaps of things hidden by centuries of students.

"How in Merlin's name are we supposed to find the diadem in here?" Neville breathed as he made a full turn to look around.

"You forget," Fred said, "that we have one bloke with us who is ultra-sensitive to magic. He'll find it like a bloodhound finds a lost person in the woods."

Harry was already on the task, speeding down the aisles. Mostly, he felt no magic from the objects except for a charm that prevented them from using the summoning charm. After ten minutes they all heard the door open and close.

"Harry!" Ginny's voice shouted, soon joined by Ron's and Hermione's.

Knowing Harry's exact location, she strode determindedly towards him and gave him a firm slap on the arm. "You should have waited for us, and at least told us where you were going! We want to help!"

"I'm sorry, I forgot!" Harry quickly apologized, "I got so intent on finding that stupid Horcrux – "

"Had any luck yet?" Ron asked.

"Would I have stood here emptyhanded if I did?" Harry challenged, raising a brow at him before whirling around and continuing the search.

"I suppose not," Ron agreed. "So we'll spread out, right? It's a crown of sorts, that's what you said, Ginny."

"Yes," was Ginny's only response.

They kept searching until even Hermione forgot about curfew, and they were starting to give up hope. Ron had even slumped down on an old chair and was half asleep when Harry's shout startled him awake, and he fell off and landed on the floor with a thump. Pain ignored, he got up and sprinted down the aisle towards Harry.

He found Harry balancing on a chair with three legs to reach an old, tarnished tiara that lay wedged between some old pillows.

"I've got it! I've got it! Here it is!"

Everyone moved closer to have a look when he leaped down from the chair.

"Are you certain?" Hermione asked, watching it sceptically.

"Of course I am!" Harry declared indignantly, glaring at the diadem with utter hatred, "it stinks of dark magic! Ginny, where's the venom?"

"In the dorm, of course!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Harry growled and headed towards the door in a hurry.

The rest of them had to hurry to keep up, and when they got back to the common room, Neville was slightly out of breath, and managed to catch the curious glances from the other students in the common room. Under the pretence of checking up the commotion, Percy stood and followed upstairs.

Harry dropped the diadem on the floor and began to dig inside the potions bag for the phial of venom. It was heavily protected due to the valuable content, so he had to remove them before he was even able to open it. Ginny shut the door behind Percy and quickly erected a silencing charm, while Harry carefully dripped a few drops of venom on the tiara.

The next moment Ron flung himself on the bed, covering his ears as a long scream filled the room. Harry was glad that Ginny had the forethought of using a silencing charm. He grinned with glee as the diadem withered like a leaf in the autumn, and Ginny sighed in relief when the noise vanished.

"Is it dead now?" Fred asked, his voice weak.

"Yes," Harry picked up the diadem and stuffed it inside his trunk before throwing himself on the bed.

"What happened?" Percy inquired, not having been included in their Horcrux hunt of the evening. Harry quickly explained to him about their conversation with Snape and with the Grey Lady, the latter of which the others listened just as attentively as Percy.

"So… so that tiara was a Horcrux?" he asked, eyeing Harry's trunk with apprehension.

"Yes, but it's all dead now," Harry assured him.

"And better," Ron said, "there's only one left."

"Do you think that would be a trinket too?" Hermione asked, "like something from Gryffindor?"

"There isn't anything left from Godric Gryffindor other than his sword," Percy pointed out for them.

Thus, everybody returned to bed, all with a sense of relief. In the morning Harry wrote to Sirius, and Ginny to her parents about their find.

As the days went on, Harry and Ginny fell into the rhythm with the rest of the school. Snape's classes slowly got better for both Harry and Neville, especially as Neville's confidence grew, and he managed to brew one potion after another successfully. Harry realized that once Neville had someone who believed in him, and he practiced a little more than in classes, he was actually quite talented. Ginny thought it made sense because of his great understanding of magical plants and their properties. He just had to bring that understanding over to the rest of the ingredients and elements of brewing too.

After his first Ancient Runes class, he decided that the class' teacher was rather odd, but a good teacher, at least. The subject was theoretical, and it consisted of a lot of memorizing. Hermione thought it was fascinating. Harry wasn't so certain.

A week before Halloween Harry knew that he had managed his task of tutoring Neville when he found him pairing up with Ron, who had gotten confused about one part of the potion, and nearly did it incorrect. Neville carefully explained the process to him until he understood every single step of it, and they continued under Snape's watchful eye.

"Potter! Longbottom! A word." Snape's order penetrated the rustling of the students packing their things to leave after the class was done.

Harry and Neville exchanged a confused look, but dropped their bags back on their shared desk and waited until everyone had left. Snape sat down in his chair and waved his wand to shut the door. "Call Mrs. Potter over, will you?" he looked at Harry, his face an unreadable mask.

 _Gin, Professor Snape wants you to come here immediately,_ he said.

 _Yeah, alright. I'll be there. Any idea of what he wants?_

 _No,_ Harry said, "She has been in History of Magic, so she'll be here soon," he told Snape, who nodded.

"Let us wait for her, then."

They waited a few minutes before the door opened, and Ginny slipped through, shutting it firmly behind her. "What's going on?"

"I asked you all here, because Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbotton are the best in class, and I figured that if Mr. and Mrs. Potter could manage to brew such advanced healing potions that you have shown me, then I want to include you in one of my works," Snape said slowly, his eyes moving from Harry to Neville and to Ginny and back. "I have been asked by Dumbledore to brew the Wolfsbane Potion for Professor Lupin – "

A sharp gasp from Neville had all three look at him. "He's a werewolf?"

"He is. I discussed this with him before involving you, and he said that Longbottom should be trustworthy. Whatever he was referring to, I have no idea."

"Isn't that awfully advanced?" Ginny asked, changing the subject, "the potion, I mean?"

"Indeed, Mrs. Potter, but no more advanced than the antidote to the Winter Willow's breath." He raised a brow at her, and her cheeks turned pink.

"So… you want us to watch… Professor?" Harry asked uncertainly. He couldn't really believe that Snape wanted to involve three children in brewing such a difficult potion, no matter what they had proved to him before.

"I want you to participate. Mr. and Mrs. Potter, you have shown me understanding and talent with those experiments of yours, and I believe I have to be so frank to say that I have underestimated Mr. Longbottom greatly."

"You're not the only one, sir," Harry assured him, "Neville is capable of more than people give him credit for. He just needs some confidence."

By now Neville's face was as red as Ginny's hair, and he stared into his lap, flustered, muttering unintelligibly.

"Yes, so, I want you three to study the recipe, memorize it and understand it before we begin tomorrow after dinner. Clear?" Snape watched them expectantly as he handed them a piece of parchment each.

Indeed, it was a very difficult potion, Harry realized, as he studied it. It took a long time to make, and one had to be very accurate and precise concerning both time and treatment of ingredients. For instance, the Deadly Nightshade had to be picked just before blossoming. The trio wandered back to the Common Room, quietly discussing the potion. Ron and Hermione were found by the fireplace, Hermione with a large tome in her lap and Crookshanks lying beside her, eyeing Ron's bag intently. Ron had his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, concentrating on his Astronomy chart. Harry and Neville joined him.

"What did Snape want?" Hermione asked, glancing up from her book.

"He asked us to help brewing the Wolfsbane Potion for Professor Lupin," Harry whispered in return and watched as her mouth formed a perfect o and her brows shot up towards her hairline.

"Really?"

"What's the Wolfsbane Potion?" Ron whispered, leaning towards Harry.

"It's supposed to ease the transformation for werewolves, so they can keep their human mind," Harry explained quietly, glancing around to make sure they weren't overheard.

"Oh."

"It's supposed to be really complicated," Hermione said, "I can't believe Professor Snape wanted you to help."

"Me neither," Ginny commented and let her see the recipe, "It's as difficult as the antidote to the Winter Willow's breath – the potion we used when Snape smelled the leaves, if you remember."

Hermione nodded as she skimmed through the recipe. "Wow. I can't believe you have managed a potion on this level by yourselves!"

"Harry's powers were invaluable," Ginny said, "we couldn't have done it without them."

"But still," Hermione said, sounding slightly envious.

"Don't worry, Hermione. We could tell him that you brewed the polyjuice potion as a twelve-year-old. I'm sure he'll be impressed," Harry said cheekily.

She stared at him with alarm. "You wouldn't dare! He would want to know what we were using it for! Besides, we stole from his storage; he's bound to make the connection, if he hadn't already!"

Harry chuckled. "Alright, I won't tell. Promise."

When Harry, Ginny and Neville entered the Potions Classroom the next afternoon one of the three doors leading out from the room was open. Harry knew that the other one which was not the entrance door, lead to Snape's office, but the third, he was unfamiliar with.

"Professor?" He called.

"In here!" sounded Snape's voice.

Neville made a face. He was still unused to hear the normally cold and cynical Potions Master with a, while not exactly warm tone, certainly warmer than what he showed to the rest of the school. Luckily, he was slowly overcoming his fear for Snape, since he never received quite the earful during his classes, and no longer mucked up his potions to the degree that they were poisons.

They entered a room that was slightly larger than an office, and had an old, worn work bench with several cauldrons of different potions bubbling away. There were marks of potion accidents all over; burnt patches, etched holes and colourful stains. Even the stone floor had marks from years of potionmaking. Shelves covering the walls were filled to the brink with jars containing all sorts of slimy potion ingredients, half of which Harry had never seen before.

Snape was currently gathering ingredients from said shelves, stacking them up on the work bench. "Let us set to work, then. I assume you have understood the recipe?"

"Yes, sir."

As the four of them started to prepare the ingredients, Snape asked them questions to make sure they knew the process in the correct order. And then they began in earnest. Adding ingrediens, regulating the temperature, stirring, adding magic or waiting.

"Gin! Gin!" Harry shouted as he watched the potion turn sunset orange.

Ginny hurried over, her hands filled with neatly chopped Aconite. She dropped it into the cauldron, and Harry stirred counter-clockwise six times.

"Now, Nev," he said to Neville, who scooped some of the crushed Alinari seeds into the potion, automatically responding to the nickname that Harry had given him in the heat of the moment.

The potion changed colour again, and Harry quickly lowered the heat.

"Do not forget to stir, Potter," Snape's drawl sounded from behind him.


	16. Dementor Attack

For the next days leading up to Halloween Harry, Ginny and Neville spent almost every afternoon in Snape's lab, depending on the stage of the potion. They also stepped by to talk with Hagrid occasionally, who had lost all guts after the accident with Buckbeak, who had started to appear near Harry whenever he showed his face outdoors. Even during Quidditch practice. Oliver had after the first two practices shouted at Harry and demanded he had the hippogriff grounded while they were practicing, instead of following Harry around like a lovesick puppy. After that, Ginny kept him company in the stands while Harry practiced.

Harry, Neville, Ron, Hermione and Ginny kept giving Hagrid suggestions of what animals to use, but all his confidence was gone, and instead they learned about flobberworms.

"Hagrid, this is enough!" Ginny said firmly the evening before Halloween, "we'll never pass our O. if you spend three years teaching us about flobberworms!"

Hagrid looked downright ashamed of himself. "Oh, I'm a horrible teacher, I am!" he moaned burying his face in his hands.

"No, you're not," Harry replied, "you know a lot of things; you just have to choose creatures that we might have on our O. ."

Hagrid's black, twinkling eyes peered out between his thick fingers, and peered at Harry. "What creatures would tha' be, then? Hippogriffs?"

"Yeah, maybe," Harry said honestly, "and unicorns, perhaps."

"Kneazles," Hermione offered, digging her fingers int Crookshank's red fur.

"Knarls," Neville said, "according to Gran we've got several in our garden, but I really don't know what they are."

"Gnomes!" Ron shot in.

"The sort of creatures that are not classified for Defence Against the Dark Arts," Ginny elaborated, "Like Triomphe."

Hagrid dropped his hands and studied her hopefully, "We couldn' have 'im for one class only, perhaps? Jus' so the students get ter see it an' understand wha' he can do?"

Harry really wanted to say no, because a campitor really wasn't anything suitable for a group of children, and in the kindest way possible tried to explain to him how parents would react if their students were shown such a dark creature in a simple Care of Magical Creatures class, and especially if it happened with the younger years. At the same time he was hesitant about hurting Hagrid's feelings, but after a quiet conversation with Ginny, he decided that security was more important.

"We've already talked about this; it's not the kind of creature which one is likely, or even able to own," Harry said. "It doesn't have much to do with Care of Magical Creatures, despite how fascinating I know you think he is."

Hagrid had to give in with a rather depressed sigh, and offered them some tea.

None of them had the heart to decline, even though they knew that Hagrid's cookery was usually as hard as rock. He served them a tray as big as a small dish antenna filled with rock cakes and a teapot the size of a bucket. Each cup could probably hold a whole jug of pumpkin juice. Hagrid filled them to the rim with tea, humming happily to himself.

Neville bravely reached out to take a rock cake and was about to take a bite when Ron accidentally jolted him while gesticulating wildly as he related to Hagrid about their latest class with Snape and how Goyle's potion had been muddy brown rather than the lemony yellow it was supposed to be, and Crabbe's had boiled over and given him and Nott some rather nasty rash where their skin had turned flaky. The rock cake slipped out of Neville's hands and into his cup of tea.

Smiling in amusement, Hermione handed him a spoon, and he began to try to get it back out of the deep tea cup. "Oh! I've got it!" he said at last, dropping the spoon. He pulled out his wand and aimed it at the cup. "Wingardium Leviosa!" He declared, and the rock cake soared up in front of him. Beaming in satisfaction, Neville moved to take it, but quickly pulled back and shaking his hand. "Ouch! It's hot!" The distraction was enough for the cake to drop back into the teacup with a splash.

"Try the locomotor charm, Neville," Harry suggested, and briefly instructed him on how to do it.

"That's a fifth year spell, Harry," Hermione pointed out with a frown.

"Doesn't matter," Harry replied with a shrug, "as long as you follow the description and practice, you could be able to do it. Ginny and I can."

"But you… but you're _bonded,_ " she ended in a whisper, shooting a glance at Hagrid, who was busy listening to Ron's vocal declaration of his prowess in potions compared to Crabbe and Goyle, "so you get spells easier than the rest of us! Bloody unfair, it is!"

"Are you saying you want to share your every little thought and emotion with a certain someone, Hermione?" Harry asked, raising a brow.

Hermione flushed deep red. "I-I… I didn't mean it like that!" she snapped hotly and returned to watching Neville trying to do the locomotion charm. Harry smiled in amusement.

With some careful instruction from Harry, he had the rock cake lifting out of his cup and down on his saucer. He beamed happily at Harry.

"I did it!"

"Of course, you did! I knew you could do it," Harry replied, smiling.

Neville's rock cake was by now soggy with tea, and he had no problem eating it. Not having tasted them before, he didn't think more about it, but Ginny decided to copy him and dropped her cake into her tea as well. It made them fully edible, and even made them tasty.

"So, mum's birthday is tomorrow," Ginny pointed out. Ron froze.

"It is? Bloody hell – I forgot! What are you two getting her?" he asked.

Harry and Ginny grinned equally uncanny smiles. "A free holiday to our vineyard in Tuscany – we're adding some galleons so they can really enjoy themselves. Oh, and it's a joint birthday present for both mum and dad," Ginny said.

"I bet they'll be really happy with tha'one!" Hagrid beamed.

Ron just looked panicked.

Later that evening Harry found a new letter on his and Ginny's bed. It had the same handwriting as the one he had found on September 1st.

 _Dear Master,_

 _I apologize for the time you have had to wait. I have done my outmost to keep the secret from your room mates, and I am confident that I have succeeded. The room that I have prepared for you is complete. It is located up the top of the boys' staircase, above the seventh year dormitories. It is hidden behind the tapestry of the Traveller and the Will-o'-the-wisps, and will only grant access to those you allow to enter. You must simply state the password 'soulbond'._

 _Loyally yours,_

 _Hogwarts._

Ginny moved oved and wrapped her arms around his waist reading it underneath his left arm. "Oh! Great! Let's go!" she said happily and bounced out of the room in nothing more than Harry's old shirt and a pair of shorts.

Harry followed her, earning a curious look from Ron and Neville, who were the only others in the room at the point. What kind of a room would Hogwarts have provided for them? A simple bedroom with a bed and a wardrobe only? Or perhaps even a bathroom? He tried not to get his hopes too high; he was after all very grateful for the fact that Ginny didn't have to hide in the boys' dormitory to sleep near him anymore.

He caught up with Ginny at the top of the stairs just as she uttered the password, and the tapestry rolled itself upwards, revealing a door. She shared a look with Harry and opened it, stepping inside a rather cozy parlour with warm, reddish brown stone walls and vaulted ceiling, from which a chandelier dangled, bathing the room with a warm glow. The floor was mainly white marble, but with the occasional black pattern to break it up. Parts of it was covered with a deep red shaggy rug, cream-coloured arm-chairs and loveseat and a polished mahogany table, adorned with a tall vase of lilies.

Around the walls, on pedestals between white and black marbled pillars and windows, stood pots of odd plants of many different kinds, amongst others a small palm tree that hummed quietly, ranks of golden bellflowers ringing once in a while with a clear sound, and a tree of Archangel's Trumpets playing soft tunes from a corner. Pots of Golden Felixia stood on either side of a large fireplace. Harry made a mental note to figure out if it was connected to the floo.

Three doors lead away from the room inside a short corridor opposite of the entrance. Harry opened the first one on the left-hand side. Inside was a bathroom in polished grey-patterned white marble with a bath tub framed by quartzite, similarly to the cabinet countertop. The high ceiling was vaulted, like the parlour, and white, probably created and carved out in limestone or something similar. Delicately carved cabinet doors stood out in dark walnut against the otherwise very light room.

In the meantime Ginny had checked out both of the other rooms. "Harry, there are two bedrooms here!" her voice came from the room across the hall, and closed the door to the bathroom to have a look. The room she was in was not particularly big, but it had two single beds with red and golden bedspreads and heaps of pillows. There was one window with a thick red curtain, and one thinner, white, which was transparent. One painting of a Gryffindor lion adorned the wall.

Ginny sat on the edge of one of the beds, reading a letter that she had found on one of the two nightstands. Harry moved over and read it with her.

 _Dear Master and Mrs. Potter,_

 _I have created this guest room for future needs. One might not know when it will come in handy. I of course did not expect you to sleep in separate beds._

 _Hogwarts._

 _How come she addresses you as Master?_ Ginny wondered, folding back the letter and tucking it into the envelope.

 _No idea,_ Harry responded and moved on to tcheck out the last room.

This was larger than the guest room. It had one double bed, which was wider than Harry was tall. Three walls were wooden brown, while the one behind the headboard was bluish grey, a colour repeated in the pillows, that Ginny was now throing into a cream-coloured arm-chair in the corner by a large wardrobe. Almost the entire floor was covered in a shaggy, charcoal grey rug.

"This is really pretty. I think the castle is trying to spoil us," Ginny declared happily.

Seconds later Ron and Neville came in through the entrance door with Harry's first letter, which he had dropped in the dorm, and looked around with wide eyes.

"Sweet Merlin!" Neville exclaimed, his mouth wide open in surprise.

"Blimey! Harry, could you tell me how to get a soulbond with someone? I too want this!" Ron moaned enviously.

"Well, you have to find the one you're destined to be with. And then I don't know," Harry said, laughing.

Enthusiastically, and a little bit jealous, Ron and Neville began to explore. "We can do all our homework in here instead! No more having to work in a noisy common room!" Neville said, beaming as he looked around the parlour. Finding the bookshelf he began to investigate the titles. There were plentiful of charms, potion and transfiguration books; enough to help them through the homework without having to go to the library.

"Oi! Nev!" Ron shouted from the guest room, "They've got two bedrooms! Why the hell have you got two bedrooms for, Harry?" His head poked out of the door to look at Harry.

"You can read the letter on the nightstand," Harry called back at him, "I'm not sure what she's referring to."

There was some silence, and Neville hurried off to read the letter with Ron. Ginny, in the meantime, ran down to the third year boys' dormitory to pack their things, but just as she was about to throw Harry's robes into his trunk, both the robes and the trunk vanished. Soon after her own did, and as she looked through their wardrobe, all their clothes were gone. She suspected that it was Hogwarts' doing, like it had last time, and Harry confirmed it when he looked through the rooms, and Neville nearly stumbled over Ginny's old, worn trunk, that had been Charlie's through his seven years at Hogwarts.

"But… this doesn't make any sense," Ron said, waving the letter at Harry, "who's she referring to?"

"No idea. That's the problem. Unless she expects someone to come visiting."

Snape had asked Harry, Ginny and Neville to step by in the early hours on Halloween, to do the last steps to complete the wolfsbane potion. They had no trouble understanding why it was so expensive; there were several highly expensive ingredients in it, and it was difficult and risky to brew. The smallest mistake could turn it lethal, because aconite, its main ingredient, was highly toxic.

It was thus shortly after breakfast that Harry, Ginny and Neville headed up to Professor Lupin's office with a goblet of potion, which was exuding a faint blue smoke. Most of the students from third year and up were already leaving for Hogsmeade, and Harry and Neville would leave soon too.

Harry knocked on the door to Professor Lupin's office as the clock hit ten in the morning.

"Yes?" sounded his voice from inside, and Harry pushed the door open peeking inside. Professor Lupin, looking as shabby as ever, sat by his desk, correcting essays from his students. He looked up as the trio entered, and smiled. His office looked bare compared to what it had last year when Lockhart had decorated his walls with posters of himself. Nonetheless, Harry's gaze was instantly drawn to a water tank in the corner containing a sickly green creature with small, sharp horns and its face pressed against the glass, making grimaces.

"Oooh, a grindylow!" Ginny whispered enthusiastically.

"Hello, Professor," Harry said as they made their way over to his desk, "the potion is done. It's supposed to be drunk immediately." He placed the goblet on Professor Lupin's desk.

"Thank you." Professor Lupin's eyes fell on Ginny, who was watching the grindylow in the tank. "I see you recognize it, Ginny?"

"Yes! We have a few in our lake at Harry's family home. One of them got hold of Hermione once; that's how we know of them," Ginny said, recalling how they had searched through the library to find out what sort of creatures that inhabited the lake.

Professor Lupin raised his brows in mild surprise. "Am I right in guessing you live at Potter Palace, then?"

Harry stiffened and felt his heart skip a beat. "How do you know?"

A fond smile crossed Lupin's face. He sighed wistfully. "I spent a lot of time there with James there. And Sirius, of course. They insisted I came for the full moons during summer, so they could keep me company. You probably know how big the property is?"

Harry nodded stiffly. "Yeah. Way too large."

Professor Lupin chuckled. "I take it you are going to Hogsmeade?"

"Nev and I will. Ginny has to wait until next year," Harry explained, feeling a little helpless when seeing Ginny's disappointed look.

"Perhaps Ginny would like to join me for a cup of tea instead? I want to hear what has changed since we roamed the forests of the Palace," Professor Lupin said.

Ginny nodded and glanced at Harry and Neville. "You should go. Ron and Hermione are waiting for you," she said and pushed Harry gently towards the door, "just don't forget the Chocoballs for me."

"No, I won't. Not with you reminding me every five minutes," Harry joked, earning a particularly hard shove from Ginny before she approached him and gave him a kiss.

"And watch out for Pettigrew and stun every rat that you see."

"'Course," he said lightly and wandered off with Neville while Lupin smiled with amusement of their antics.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Harry knew immediately which day was the full moon when Professor Snape stood in for Lupin in Defence Against the Dark Arts. After having bolted from Wood, who was trying to warn him about Diggory's talent on a broom, he found Snape at the head of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, looking at the class menacingly.

"Five points for your tardiness, Potter," he snapped.

Harry merely glared at him and sat down beside Ron near the front, pulling out his book.

"As I was saying before Potter so rudely interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of what you have been taught so far – "

"Please, sir," Hermione interrupted, her hand in the air, "we've done red caps, kappas and grindylow, and we were to – "

"Quiet, Granger!" Snape snapped, glaring at her, "I didn't ask for information from you. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"Professor Lupin is the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we've had!" Dean stated boldly from Harry's left, and was given support by nods and mutters of agreement.

"His predecessors didn't exactly set him high standards, did they?" Snape snarled, glaring at Dean, who sat straight under Snape's hard stare. "Red caps and kappas… if I were in charge of this course, you would have known about them in your first year. I shall make a point of informing Headmaster Dumbledore how behind you are. Anyway, today we will be talking about werewolves," Snape's gaze met Harry's, who growled in anger.

"He should be in a play!" Ron hissed into his ear, and Harry nodded in agreement. He couldn't deny Snape's acting skills.

"But werewolves!" he whispered in return as he opened his book, "that's just unneccesary."

"Can anybody tell me how to spot the difference between a wolf and a werewolf?" Snape drawled. Hermione's hand shot into the air immediately, but no-one else reacted.

"No-one? Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic differences between a wolf and a werewolf?"

Harry sighed lowly and raised his hand in annoyance, watching Snape challengingly to see if he would accept it.

Snape responded by raising a brow. "Well, well, would you look at that. Then tell me, Potter, the difference between a wolf and a werewolf?"

"Up until full moon the difference is that a werewolf is no more harmful than a human, and looks like a human, whereas a wolf looks like… well, a wolf," Harry said cheekily, "when it transforms, you can only tell a werewolf from a wolf by its tufted tail, shorter snout and human-like eyes. Also, they have a mindless hunting of humans that is caused by the wolf taking over their human mind, which has no control whatsoever as long as the full moon is up, unless the werewolf drinks the wolfsbane potion," Harry explained, watching Snape's calm expression, who had probably expected the answer. After having worked with Harry on the wolfsbane potion, it could hardly be a surprise that he understood werewolves that well.

Snape then had them take notes on werewolves from the book, and criticized their previous work by Professor Lupin. Even though Harry knew of Snape's history with Lupin, and how he was behind the mask, it didn't stop him from getting angry when he brought Hermione to tears, picked on Lupin's work at every opportunity, and handed out detentions to both Ron and Neville.

Thus, when the class was over, Harry told his friends to wait outside and approached Snape, who was gathering his things from Lupin's desk.

"I get that you are acting a little bit, professor," he began sourly, "but I don't see why you have to be so cruel about it. Is it only for the sake of the Death Eater spawns here? Or are you still bearing hatred for what dad and his friends did?

"I'll tell you, once I was bullied too, but if those bullies suddenly became a colleague of mine when we grew up, and they treated me politely, I'd be able see that said person has changed, and if not becoming friends, at least treated them civilly."

"Could you, now?" Snape narrowed his eyes at him, glaring suspiciously.

"Yes. Can you?" Harry stared back, his blood boiling, and his temper threatening to take over.

"You have been reading my mind, haven't you?" Snape snarled, "when you said you wouldn't! Just as arrogant as – "

"Stop jumping to conclusions!" Harry interrupted angrily, unaware of the magic that he unleashed and had the air shimmering like a heat wave. "I have not read your mind! Did it even occur to you that you are not the only one who saw what they did? What about Sirius, huh? How'd you think I trust him so easily when I encountered him on the street? Do you think that perhaps he knows?" he inquired ironically.

Snape's eyes watched Harry with hesitance and caution, as if he was a bomb about to explode. Harry felt pleased with himself, and only now realized that he had lost control of his magic. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths to calm down before he turned, snatched his schoolbag from his desk and stormed from the room.

After that, Snape became much more subdued towards Professor Lupin, and even to Harry. According to Ginny, he had taken a page out of Malfoy's book and turned wary of Harry, his temper and powers.

In the meantime they got no closer to finding out where Riddle's last Horcrux was, and as the first Quidditch match approached, and Wood upped the amount of training, it kind of slipped Harry's mind. Fred and George blamed Wood's nerves.

"He says he hopes for a position on a professional team after Hogwarts," George said.

"So he takes it very seriously. As if the seeker's ability to catch a snitch would say much about him!" Fred added.

"I'd like to see him train Malfoy good enough to even make the Chudley Cannons," George grinned.

"Oi!" Shouted an indignant Ron, and threw a forkful of mashed potatoes after him, "Malfoy wouldn't even make it on the Slytherin team hadn't his father bought him in."

"I think Oliver just wants to make a good figure," Hermione said, "I mean, he's the captain, and he wants to succeed as one, right? Wouldn't you too?" She looked at the twins expectantly.

"Nah! We only play for the fun of it!"

"That's why I think Fred and George should take over captaincy after Oliver," Harry beamed happily and stabbed his breakfast sausages with his fork, "they wouldn't pester us so hard. As long as we beat Slytherin, all is good." He shot Ginny a look as she snatched a strip of bacon from his plate. "Really? There is plenty more there," he declared and pointed at the plate a little further down the table, which was filled with a tower of sausages and bacon.

Ginny shrugged at him. "Can't be bothered. Yours is much closer."

Even Wood's pre-match speech was racked with his nerves. He tried to speak several times, but unable to get any words out, he resorted to just waving them all outside to their match with Hufflepuff. The weather was horrible, and he had to resort to using the Impervius charm to be able to see anything through his rain-covered glasses. The wind was howling in his ears, and he had no chance of hearing Madam Hooch's words when she spoke to Wood, who looked like he was about to faint, and Diggory, who smiled kindly.

Harry had a look towards the Gryffindor stands as he mounted his broom. All his friends were there, and Hagrid had chosen to be with them rather than in the teachers' stand. He already had his binoculars in his hand, and waved happily to Harry. Further back Harry caught sight of Buckbeak, who watched him closely.

Harry could barely hold control of his broom. It swerved with the wind, which chilled him to the bone as soon as he got wet. Within fifteen minutes his hands were so cold that he wasn't sure if he could even catch the Snitch, much less unfreeze them from the shaft of the broom.

Wait… unfreeze them? Perhaps the cold weather had muddled up his mind too? He dodged a Bludger coming his way, and turned up against the wind. There, far up, he caught sight of something blinking. Something gold. His heart speeding up, he lay flat on his broom to reduce drag as much as possible as he fought his way through the wind towards the Snitch. He was getting higher and higher, and soon the ground disappeared beneath the low clouds.

A clap of thunder startled him. He realized that he had to finish this quickly unless he wanted to become fried by lightning. Diggory approached from below, him too fighting against the wind. Harry urged on his broom as much as he could, but then a flash of light appeared right in front of them, blinding them both, and sent them swerving in different directions.

Blinking rapidly in attempt to get rid of the twinkling stars in his vision, Harry looked around for Diggory and the Snitch. That was when he saw it; the large, cloaked figure of a Dementor hurling towards Diggory. It drew a rattling breath, and Diggory released an unearthly scream.

He thought of Ginny. "Expecto Patronum!" he shouted. The large, silver eagle emerged and burst right at the Dementor, which was caught by surprise. It retreated hastily as the eagle forced distance between it and Diggory, who hung on just barely on his broom.

Harry turned around to get to Diggory, who looked next to unconscious, before he fell off. There were more. At least a hundred Dementors came soaring towards them from every direction. The coldness intensified, and it felt as if his body was slowly freezing to ice. He reaffirmed his grip on his wand and prepared to cast another Patronus. Diggory's weak grip slipped. To Harry it looked like he was falling in slow motion.

 _Ginny! Diggory!_ He shouted in desperation, just before a woman screaming sounded inside his head.

"Not Harry! Please! Not Harry! Have mercy!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl!"

"Not Harry! Please don't take Harry! Take me, kill me instead!"

A shrill, cold laughter and the woman's – his mother's screams, were the last things he heard before everything turned black.


	17. A Weekend in the Hospital Wing

Everything was silent. A familiar flowery scent penetrated his nostrils. It had him sighing in contentment. A low gasp was heard from his right, and then a gentle whisper in his mind.

 _Harry?_

 _Gin? You here?_

 _Yes, I'm here,_ she replied, and he felt the mattress he was lying on shift and a warm body scooted close to him, a hand gently running through his hair. Pleasant tingling sensations spread from everywhere her body made contact with his.

He needed to see her again. It felt like ages ago, like he had been without her for years. He opened his eyes and blinked to find a focus. It was all blurry, but he recognized Ginny's face. She was near enough for him to see the relieved smile on her lips. There was some scraping of metal against wood, and he felt something cold make contact with his face. Then there was the familiar feel of Ginny's warm lips on his. As he responded, he felt his whole body complain by even the slightest move.

When she pulled back he finally got a look of where he was. Like expected, he was in the Hospital Wing. Only, it was night, because everything was dark. Looking around, he found it empty except for Ginny, himself and the unmoving figure of Cedric Diggory in the bed beside his. His heart dropped into his stomach as he remembered the match. He'd seen Diggory fallen, and tried to stop him… and then what?

 _What happened?_ He asked, looking back into Ginny's caring face as her hand kept stroking his hair.

 _You fell from more than fifty feet. It's pure luck that you survived. Everyone thought you had died,_ she whispered.

He felt emotional pain radiating from her. _You too?_

She nodded faintly. He wrapped his arms around her, despite the protest of his aching muscles.

 _You disappeared. Your mind went all black, and I panicked. But you saved Diggory somehow. Dumbledore thinks you used some very powerful accidental magic; he didn't react quickly enough to save him, so he was very relieved that you did something. Buckbeak caught you just before you hit the ground. He didn't manange to stop you completely, though. Diggory awoke earlier this afternoon and told the professors about the Dementors and how you saved him from them._

 _Have you been here all the time?_

Ginny nodded again, burying her face into his chest.

 _Ginny, you should've at least eaten!_ He told her disappoitedly.

 _Funny. That's what Hermione said. Claimed you would be mad at me for not eating,_ she muttered.

 _Not mad. But disappointed, definitely. I don't want to find you half starved to death and filthy and grimy to the bone if I'm out cold for a really long time._ His hand gently caressed her cheek. _Promise not to forget yourself if it happens again?_

There was some hesitance, but at last Ginny nodded, and they lay quietly together until they both drifted off to sleep.

Harry woke again as sunlight gleamed in through the window and hit his face. A heavy weight lay on top of his legs. Blinking, he realized he had fallen asleep with his glasses on, and though they were now slightly bent, he had no problem seeing Buckbeak's feathery head by the footend. He was lying on the floor by the bed, which made the mattress a perfect pillow. Harry doubted that Madam Pomfrey knew that he was here. She wouldn't have let him put a claw inside the Hospital Wing if she could help it. Harry thought Buckbeak had sneaked in during the night, and in that case, the doors must either have been left open, or Buckbeak was far more clever than he was given credit for.

Harry turned slightly, careful so not to wake Ginny, who hadn't slept at all before Harry had woken. The storm was over, and he could only see blue sky for miles and miles. The sun wasn't too high, so it couldn't be that late in the morning yet. Especially if Madam Pomfrey was still asleep. Hagrid was probably up, though; he was usually awake at the crack of dawn.

A low squawk brought him out of his musings. Buckbeak's orange eyes were looking at Harry, and his head lifted from the mattress. Very gently, he nudged Harry with his beak.

"I'm alright, Buckbeak," Harry assured him lowly, "thanks to you. You were great. Thanks for saving my life."

A loud scream had Harry startle, and Ginny to nearly roll out of the bed if not for Harry's grip on her. Buckbeak stood in surprise, revealing a horrified-looking Madam Pomfrey, who strode over, her wand in his hand, aimed at Buckbeak.

"Get out, you filthy animal!" she shrieked, "I won't have you bringing in bugs and dirt into my Wing!"

"No, don't call him that!" Harry shouted. Expecting Buckbeak to attack, like last time, he grasped hold of his magic without even taking the time to reach for his wand, and conjured a vast, emerald green shield on front of Madam Pomfrey. It glowed brightly at Buckbeak's impact, and then returned to the original colour as Madam Pomfrey jumped back, frightened.

"You shouldn't have said that to him!" Harry accused her harshly, "he didn't mean any harm; he wasn't here to hurt me! Besides, I thought you knew of Hippogriffs' pride. Haven't you worked with Hagrid for many years?"

Madam Pomfrey had the decency to look ashamed for at least a short moment, before her face turned into an expression of dismay. She turned towards Buckbeak, but did not look at him. "Very well, then. I apologize," she said stiffly, "If you would be so kind to leave the Hospital Wing."

Seeing Buckbeak watching her critically, Harry kept the shield up until he turned and trotted out of the Hospital Wing's open door, his wings shifting as if he was about to spread them and take off. As soon as the green shield dropped, Madam Pomfrey had her wand out and muttered cleaning charms all over.

The commotion had unsurprisingly roused Diggory, who was looking around in his bed. "Huh? What's goingon?" he slurred sleepily.

Madam Pomfrey ignored him and instead started to poke and prod Harry with her wand.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?" she asked, shooting disapproving looks at Ginny, who refused to move from Harry's side.

"Fine. A little sore, that's all."

Ginny raised a brow at him. "A little? You can barely move."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips as she looked from Ginny to Harry. "Well, it is only to be expected when you fall from fifty feet. Lucky you have a rather protective hippogriff. That's the second time he's brought you up here."

"Obviously, he's not mine," Harry retorted, and winced as her wand hit a sore spot on his leg.

"He seems to think so," Madam Pomfrey replied and prepared a goblet of potion for him. She thrust it into his hands. "For your muscles."

Harry studied the magical tendrils inside the liquid for a few moments before he downed it with a frown of disgust and nearly gagged. "Why do all your potions have to be so nasty?" he growled and swallowed a glass of pumpkin juice that she offered him to get the vile taste away from his mouth.

A snort sounded from the bed beside them, and Harry turned his head to find Diggory watching him with amusement. Harry responded by lifting his nearly empty glass of juice in a salute.

"Cheers!"

"Well, then how are you feeling, Mr. Diggory?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Fine. At least considering the circumstances," he replied.

"Yes, well, I will have both of you staying for the rest of the weekend," she said and grabbed another few pillows which she stuffed behind Diggory's back as he sat up.

"Potter?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for saving me up there. Both from the Dementors and… well… you know…"

"You actually remember?" Harry asked with mild surprise. He himself could only remember seeing the Dementors approaching, and not even his own Patronus.

"Bits and pieces of it. I remember your Patronus – or, your girl over there assured me that it was your Patronus. She confirmed that you slowed down my fall too," Diggory said.

Harry turned to Ginny and watched her curiously. "How d'you… you felt what I did, didn't you?"

She nodded curtly. "I remember, even if you don't," she whispered.

"Pardon me for asking, but how come you two are married already?" Diggory asked.

"Now! That is enough nosing into others business," Madam Pomfrey said sharply, going surprisingly defensive. "I am certain that your friends will arrive soon; breakfast has already started."

Just a few minutes later there were two loud crack as two house-elves appeared, balancing two trays of food; one large and one smaller.

"Nodes is bringing food for Mr. Potter, Master of Hogwarts and Mrs. Potter," one particularly stocky house-elf declared enthusiastically as he slid the large silver tray onto Harry's lap, his ears quivering with eagerness.

"Thank you," Harry said politely.

"If there is anything more, Nodes will be happy to serve the great Harry Potter!" he then bowed deeply and watched Harry expectantly.

"Oh, no, this is fine for now, thanks," Harry assured him.

Madam Pomfrey went over to organize her potions in neat rows while they ate, and soon after disappeared inside her office, leaving the door slightly ajar. Harry and Ginny ate in peace, taking advantage of the bed that Madam Pomfrey had enlarged. Ginny sat cross-legged at Harry's feet on top of the covers, drinking the milk from the granola straight from the bowl as she finished.

Diggory watched her with amusement.

"What?" she inquired, wiping milk from her lips.

"I've just never seen anyone emtying the cereal bowl like that," he replied.

"Well. I do," she told him dryly as the door flew open.

Ron burst through first, followed by Hermione, Fred and George, and then Neville, who didn't seem to hurry that much.

"Harry, mate! How are you?" Ron asked happily as he spotted Harry awake and eating.

"Great. Eurrh… well, I will be, at least. Just a little sore."

"We won't blame you," Fred and George told him, and Harry was a little uncertain whether it was sincere or a joke, "it was a rather nasty fall, if you ask me," Fred said.

"Many thought you'd… well, that you'd…" George looked uncomfortable.

"That I'd died. Gin told me."

"It's nice to see you awake, Harry. You looked pretty awful yesterday," Hermione said, and Neville nodded hastily in agreement.

Harry ignored her comment. "Do any of you have my Nimbus?" he wondered, looking hopefully at Fred and George, and then to Ron and Hermione, who exchanged uneasy looks.

"It sort of blew off when you fell off," Hermione said.

Harry raised a brow at her.

"Into the Whomping Willow."

"And?"

"You know the Whomping Willow doesn't like being hit," Ron said, shifting and throwing a wary look at Harry as if expecting an outburst of rage.

Hermione pulled out a small bag and emptied it upside down on Harry's bed. A heap of splinters and destroyed wood fell out. Harry's heart dropped into his stomach, and he swallowed heavily. He didn't need an explanation to know that it would be impossible to repair.

He felt Ginny's arms wrap around him. "I know it meant a lot to you," she muttered into his ear, "but I'm glad that it was the broom that hit the Whomping Willow rather than you. And it's just a broom. We could get a new one."

Sighing, Harry ran his fingers through her red tresses and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I suppose." Still, the loss stung. The Nimbus had served him well over the last two years, and he had had many happy memories with it.

"Has there been any discussion of a rematch?" Harry asked, noticing Diggory's sudden peak of interest in the neighbouring bed.

"Yes, there will be as soon as you two get back on your feet," Fred said.

"Good." Harry nodded with approval.

They talked and joked to try to lighten Harry's mood until Madam Pomfrey returned from her office and chased them out.

"What about Ginny?" Ron complained, fighting against Madam Pomfrey's shoves.

"Mrs. Potter does not count," Madam Pomfrey declared.

Ron shot Ginny looks of betrayal before he followed Hermione, Neville, Fred and George outside. The peace didn't last, though. The Gryffindor Quidditch team visited just after the house-elves had taken away the breakfast trays and the splinters from the Nimbus.

"Did you hear, Harry?" Wood began instantly, "they're giving us a rematch as soon as you get better." He looked happy and relieved, so Harry had a nagging suspicion that they had been behind in points when the Dementors had attacked.

Harry was about to respond when Madam Pomfrey cut in sharply, "Yes, well, they are not getting on a broom in the first week, Wood, so I suggest you calm yourself down." She threw Wood a glare, which he ignored flatly and shrugged as she moved to check on Diggory, who seemed more interested in listening to the latest updates from the Gryffindor team than cooperating with her.

Dumbledore surprised Harry with a visit Sunday evening. He offered Harry a faint smile, who stiffened when he saw the Headmaster entering the large oak door. Ginny was asleep, but felt his change of emotions, and clung to him, muttering incoherently in her sleep.

"I assure you I mean neither of you any harm, Mr. Potter," he said, his gaze firmly held on Harry as he walked over and conjured himself a chair by Harry's bed. "I am just stepping by to see how you are doing. You and Mr. Diggory gave us quite the startle during the Quidditch match. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Harry said, refusing to inform Dumbledore any more concerning his health condition. He didn't deserve to know, Harry thought.

"Mr. Diggory informed me while you were unconscious that you were the sole reason he survived. Might I ask for your version of what happened up there?"

Harry watched him thoughtfully for a few seconds before an idea hit him. If he could manipulate some magic just so… He reached for his wand on the nightstand, which was almost completely covered with candies from his friends. With a gentle wave a pale white sphere appeared in front of him. Then he poured the memory into it, and out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Diggory sitting up to straighter to see the memory play itself in the sphere that hovered over Harry's bed.

Dumbledore looked at Harry with curiosity, and then turned his attention to the memory.

"I don't now how I saved Diggory, sir. Gin says it was accidental magic," Harry said when the memory was done, and the sphere vanished.

"And she is probably correct," Dumbledore said.

Ginny shifted a little beside him, snuggling closer. The movement attracted Dumbledore's attention; he peered at her as Harry wrapped an arm around her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Poppy, I am surprised that you let the young lady stay with Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, peering at Madam Pomfrey over the edge of his spectacles.

She turned from her tending to a girl who had entered the Hospital Wing with stomach cramps. "He is a special case, Headmaster. Special circumstances require them to share a bed at night," she explained.

Harry was glad that, even though she revealed that particular information, she didn't tell him how dependent they were of touching, and how hard it was to sleep without each other. But still, he wished that Dumbledore hadn't asked. The more information the man got, the closer he got to figuring out their bond.

Glancing at Dumbledore, Harry saw him frowning and lift his wand. A silvery patronus took form of a bird of some sort and left through a crack in the door, causing Harry to stare at Dumbledore with wide eyes.

"Why did you do that, sir? There are no dementors inside the castle," he pointed out.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "It is a kind of messenger, Mr. Potter. A quick way to relay information on to someone else."

"Oh." Harry thought of asking Dumbledore to teach him, but then realized that the Headmaster would take the opportunity and use it for all that it was worth to get control of Harry. Instead he entered Dumbledore's mind and tried to study his way of doing it without Dumbledore getting suspicious.

"Is Mrs. Potter's parents aware of this?" Dumbledore asked after some time.

Harry nodded.

"And they are fine with it?"

Harry was fortunately spared answering when the door flew open and Professor McGonagall entered with long, hurried strides.

"Headmaster, I came as fast as I could. What seems to be the matter?" she demanded harshly, and then paused at seeing Harry and Ginny on the bed beside Dumbledore, and Madam Pomfrey on the other side. She shot a quizzical glance at Dumbledore. "Good evening, Mr. Potter. How are you recovering?"

"Well, thanks, Professor," Harry said politely.

"I asked for your presence because of Madam Pomfrey's claim of Mr. and Mrs. Potter sharing a bed at night due to circumstances unknown to me," Dumbledore began, "might you know anything about this, Minerva?"

Professor McGonagall looked from Dumbledore to Harry and Ginny, and then back to Dumbledore again. "I am aware, yes."

"And it did not enter your mind to inform the Headmaster about this?" Dumbledore raised his brows at her.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, looking as if she'd taken a bite of a lemon. "I hardly see how it is of your concern, Albus. They are in my house, and thus my responsibility. As long as it happens within my house, I believe I am in charge."

"Yes, yes, of course. Although, students sharing beds… and at such a tender age – "

"There are some things that are confidential, Albus," Madam Pomfrey shot in, "you cannot expect someone to share personal information with a person that does not hold their trust."

"Trust..?" Dumbledore had the nerve to look confused.

Harry's anger rose fast. Hugging Ginny possessively, he glared at the Headmaster. "Yes, Professor, trust. How could I possibly trust the man who expects me to kill Voldemort, but refuses to give me any information or training to allow me to do so? We never know when he will return, and when he does, if I follow your plan, I would have been caught by surprise and unprepared," Harry snapped heatedly. He felt his magic roaring in his veins, seeking an outlet, but he fought to keep it in check. He didn't want to cause a scene. "So you see, Headmaster, why I have absolutely no reason to trust the man who try to obliviate my wife," he snarled venomously.

Beside them Diggory stared at him with wide eyes, and seemed to burn with questions. Harry, however, glared at Dumbledore with a hatred only reserved for Riddle himself. Dumbledore looked every bit of his one-hundred-and-eleven year as he watched Harry with disappointment.

"Mr. Potter, dear boy, I don't think you understand the seriousness of this all – " he began.

"The seriousness of you performing an assault on a twelve-year-old who has done nothing wrong? Don't think I would hesitate to tell Madam Bones," Harry interrupted angrily.

Ginny moaned in her sleep, shifting under the sensation of his agiated emotions. Harry closed his eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths before caressing her cheek. She muttered softly and snuggled closer, burying her nose into his chest, her hand grasping for his shirt.

"I'm here, Gin," Harry muttered and placed a hand on top of hers. "Please leave, Headmaster," he said loudly, not moving his gaze an inch from Ginny's freckled face.

"Mr. Potter, I beg you to reconsider – "

" _Please_ leave, Professor Dumbledore. You are waking my wife," Harry insisted. He knew it was a rather silly excuse, but he didn't care as long as it made Dumbledore leave.

But Dumbledore hesitated. He studied Harry calmly for a long time. "I am afraid you are making a grave mistake by pushing me away, Mr. Potter. You don't understand what you are dealing with."

This time Harry did look up. He burned his gaze into Dumbledore's and hissed furiously; "Leave!"

"I think it is best that you do as Mr. Potter says, Albus," Madam Pomfrey said, and with a hand on Dumbledore's arm showed him out of the Hospital Wing, wearing an annoyed expression. She slammed the door shut behind him and strode back to her patients, starting to shake one of Harry's pillows. "The nerve of him! He should've known better than to upset you in your condition, Mr. Potter, and to be frank I cannot stand such rudeness in my Hospial Wing. Especially after what he's done." Madam Pomfrey's gaze found Ginny's sleeping form, and her expression softened. Her hand gently ran over her hair in a motherly fashion.

"I am starting to wonder what in the world makes him think that he has the right to intervene in people's lives?" Professor McGonagall said indignantly, "Oh, I've always known it wasn't right of me to let him place you at the Dursleys, Mr. Potter! It was none of his business! He's just a Headmaster! Even the Supreme Mugwump title does not give him the rights to singlehandedly decide where it is best for an orphaned infant to be raised! And that is not mentioning his decisions to separate the two of you for the benefits of his own selfish beliefs, and obliviate Mrs. Potter!" She huffed in frustration and conjured herself a chair, which she sat down in beside Harry's bed.

Madam Pomfrey went off to check on the girl in the other end of the Hospital Wing, and Harry peered at Professor McGonagall curiously.

"Tea, Professor?" he offered.

She responded with a puzzled look and watched him pull his wand and point it at the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. It morphed into a teapot. Beside it, two packages of Chocolate Frogs turned into tea cups.

"Perhaps you would check if I got it right inside, Professor?" Harry asked innocently and hid a smug smile when he saw Professor McGonagall's mouth working without forming a single word. She stretched over and lifted the lid, peering into the teapot.

"That is… well, ten points for Gryffindor, Mr. Potter! That is a perfect transfiguration if I ever saw one! With tea and leaves and all!" she declared, giving him an impressed look. "May I ask how you managed such an advanced transfiguration? The teapot alone would have been simple, but…" She watched him with curious anticipation.

"Err… well, Ginny and I practiced a lot of magic last summer," Harry explained, "the library at the Potters' ancestral home has a lot of good textbooks that helped us through it. But I always found this – turning something into a teapot with tea, was rather hard."

"I am not surprised," she said and filled the cups with tea before taking one of them. "Is that where the two of you live?"

"Yes. We enjoy it very much. There is space to do whatever we would like, and even a Quidditch field," Harry said happily and reached for the other tea cup.

"Surely there are some adults there… Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have moved in too, perhaps?" Professor McGonagall asked, her brows furrowing in dismay when Harry shook his head. "Potter, are you sure that is a good idea?"

Harry frowned at her. "Yes, why shouldn't it? Ginny and I can take care of ourselves. If you don't believe me, professor, we'll gladly invite you over for a visit next summer."

Professor McGonagall looked at him as if she tried to figure out if he was lying or joking. After a couple of seconds she nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. I will take you up on that when the time comes."

Professor McGonagall stayed until Madam Pomfrey told her to leave, as Harry too needed to rest. Ginny had stayed asleep the whole time, miraculously enough.

Harry and Diggory and, indirectly, Ginny were kept in the Hospital Wing over the weekend. The petite redhead was more interested in lying close to Harry with her nose buried into the crook of his neck and listening to his conversations with Diggory about the _Prophet's_ latest news. She talked to him only occasionally, wondering how their marriage began. While excluding certain things, they told him that Harry had saved Ginny from the monster that caused chaos last year, and that a bond had formed, thus granting them marriage. Harry and Ginny's friends stepped by several times over the weekend, and Hagrid arrived with a fistful of earwiggy cabbage-like flowers.

"Buckbeak was outside when I arrived; I think he prob'ly wants ter get in 'ere," Hagrid said as he placed the flowers in a vase that Madam Pomfrey had provided, although she looked at the earwigs with disdain.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Ginny said and related to him how they had found Buckbeak by their bed in the morning.

"Cheeky bugger!" Hagrid declared good-naturedly, "he's really taken ter yeh, Harry!"


	18. The Unwanted Visitor

Harry was relieved to be back in the noisy and busy school; staying in the Hospital Wing would always be boring, even if Ginny was there to keep him company. The Slytherins kept teasing Harry about his falling and immitated Dementors whenever they saw him. Diggory they didn't even comment on, even though he had been attacked by the Dementors as well.

Malfoy always stayed in the back at those times, and Ginny, using her powers, declared afterwards that he always appeared uneasy and frightened as soon as Harry was near. Harry decided to test him a little to see if he could get some more information out of observing him.

"Scared, Malfoy?" he asked, as he and Ron caught up with him when heading for Potions. He was alone; the only one from his group to have Ancient Runes with Harry. Hermione had lingered to ask Professor Babbling some questions about the latest homework assignment.

Malfoy whipped around and made a feeble attempt of a snarl. "No!" he snapped, "why should I be afraid of you?"

Harry raised a brow at him. "I didn't ask you _what_ you were afraid of, did I? But you very well admitted it to me, so thanks."

Malfoy's cheeks turned beet red. "Well, you are wrong! I'm not afraid of you!"

"If you say so," Harry responded with a shrug and brushed past him into the classroom.

"Why did you say that?" Ron muttered to him as they settled near the back of the classroom and waited. Neville was there already, right in front of them. He turned and beamed at them when they arrived. Hermione sat beside him, but she turned to listen to their conversation.

"To test him. See how he reacts. How come a Malfoy is afraid of me?"

"Duh! Even Dumbledore is afraid of you," Ron declared fiercely.

Harry let his gaze wander across the room. Malfoy had taken place with his goons as usual, partnering with Zabini; the only one of the Slytherins that Harry thought actually had a usable brain. The rest were just Death Eater scum who only followed their fathers' orders.

Snape appeared, looking as sour as ever, his black robes flapping as he strode through the classroom to his desk. "Today you are brewing the Humourless Potion, which, if brewed correctly, will make you unable to laugh of the most… hilarious joke. Now, it is a tricky potion, and only those who are less incompetent of you will be able to brew it correctly," he spoke softly, his hateful eyes moving from face to face.

He then briefed them on how to do the potion, and they got to work. Malfoy, having entered last, had taken the last free desk, which was beside Harry and Ron's. It was odd and rare to see him alone, and right now his confidence looked like it was gone with the wind. Ron shot glances at him and muttered to Harry about how nervous he looked, and did it with glee.

"His hands are shaking; can't cut properly, can he?"

Harry smirked and nodded in agreement.

By the end of the class, Hermione's potion was nearly as white as Harry's, and Ron's was creamy white. Malfoy's, however, was turquiose-green, and smelled like burnt rubber. Ron sniggered, and Malfoy's cheeks flushed in anger as he glared at Ron.

"You think you would do any better unless Potter was hovering over your shoulder, telling you what to do?" Malfoy snapped and stuffed his potions book into his backpack rather roughly, so it tore. He then emptied his cauldron and threw his knife, mortar and scale into it without cleaning it before he left in a hurry.

"That's odd," Hermione said, frowning in confusion, "Malfoy usually does well in potions. He must be really distracted if he'd made such big mistakes. Harry, what did you say to him before class?"

Harry looked at her innocently. "I only asked if he was scared. And he said that he wasn't scared of me. I hadn't even asked what he was afraid of," he said.

"Suspicious, eh?" Ron said, and tried to do a scouring charm on his cauldron after emptying its contents. He did it several times before he shot Hermione a pleading look.

She sighed and stuck her wand into his cauldron, " _Scourgify_ ," she said, leaving the cauldron spotless.

Over the next couple of weeks Malfoy continued to mess up his potions. At least sometimes. Meaning those times he was forced to work within seven metres of Harry. Snape, on the other hand, ignored him completely.

The rematch against Hufflepuff ended in Gryffindor's favour thanks to a nasty Bludger from George sending one of the Hufflepuff chasers to the Hospital Wing, and Harry beating Diggory to the Snitch, despite having flown on a school broom.

Ron and Neville had finally convinced Harry and Ginny to be allowed to take their spare bedroom, and Hermione tended to spend the afternoons there with them, studying or just having fun in the parlour.

Harry had to admit that he was happy to have a room where he could be with Ginny in peace, without anyone unwelcome snooping around. He felt Ginny shift beside him, snuggling closer. During the last six months together, he had learned that she loved cuddling while she slept, and explained it by the fact that it made her feel safe and comfortable. Harry had no reason to protest; he loved the feeling of falling asleep with her close to him, and to wake up in an embrace. It tended to get hot, so the window was usually open. In the summer they had at last resorted to learn a cooling charm.

A rustling from the side of his bed had him turn. He screamed. There, in the darkness of the room, was the figure of an extremely short man. His face was bent close. Small, watery eyes stared at him down a pointed, rat-like nose, and even less hair than Mr. Weasley. A filthy hand was raised with Harry's wand. Harry saw it instantly. A finger was gone. But before he could say anything, Pettigrew dropped his wand and disappeared.

Ginny had woken. "Harry? What's going on?"

Harry desperately looked around to find Pettigrew again, but he was gone. "Pettigrew. He was here," he hissed, his mind racing and his heart beating hard into his throat. It felt like his whole body was pulsing. He grabbed his wand and sent a patronus with a message to Dumbledore before he crawled out of bed and idly continued his search.

He first headed to Ron and Neville's room, since they were closest. Their door was ajar. It never was, and Harry tried to prepare himself for the worst when he pushed it further open. Both of the boys were sitting up, a lamp lit.

"Harry? We heard you screaming. What's going – " Neville asked, alarmed at Harry's expression.

"Pettigrew's here. Get out. I've warned Dumbledore," Harry whispered. The boys were out of their beds instantly, wands in hand. They trailed after him to the parlour, where Ginny was, already making her way through the tapestry door.

She knocked hard on the door to the seventh year dorm and pushed it open. "Percy! Percy, Pettigrew was here!" she said loudly.

"What?" came from sources different places in the dark room, and soon she saw Percy making his way towards the door hurriedly, wearing pyjamas only, looking worried.

"Where?"

"In our room! He shouldn't even be able to enter there!" Ginny said, her voice trembling slightly in fear.

Percy turned to his dorm mates. "Go have a check on the other dorms," he said firmly before climbing the stairs after Harry up to the tapestry, looking serious and very focussed.

Just as Harry said the password to the tapestry, he heard commotion in the Common Room. Ginny, who had ran up to warn the female prefects, saw Dumbledore entering with Professor McGonagall in tow on her way through. He wore a purple dressing gown and a sleeping cap, and McGonagall's hair was uncharacteristically hanging in a loose, slightly messy bun in the nape of her neck. Both of them wore looks of concern on their faces.

"Ron'll show you to it," Ginny said, gesturing to Ron, who had come down.

He turned on his heel and marched back up the stairs, "Neville and I only heard him shouting, Sir," Ron said as Dumbledore and McGonagall followed him. The students rushed past them on the way down to the common room.

All the students were sent straight to the Great Hall as the castle was searched through. Harry found himself curled up on top of his sleeping bag that Professor Dumbledore had conjured, watching as the Slytherins entered with varying degrees of confusion.

"How could he have gotten in, though?" Ron wondered, who had taken place by Harry's feet, though in the opposite direction, and was facing him, "I mean, if the Fat Lady didn't see anything, and the tapestry… he must've overheard the passwords somehow."

"How could a man enter the common room unseen?" Hermione asked. "It just doesn't add up."

"His animagus form is a rat. I bet he used it. Any of you ever seen a rat inside the common room?"

"Maybe he snuck inside with one of the students' backpacks?" Neville suggested.

"Yeah… maybe," Harry agreed quietly.

The room was rather dark, and after a while Harry wondered whether Malfoy hadn't seen who he lay down nearby when he spotted the boy's blonde hair and pale face only a couple of metres away. "Malfoy? D'you need glasses?" he asked, confused. He didn't bother to hide the undertone of hatred that he felt for the boy that had been bullying him and his friends since they began at Hogwarts.

Malfoy paused in rolling out his sleeping bag. "No," was his only answer before he continued.

Harry studied him critically, but could find no signs of any odd magic in him. Then what the hell was driving him into lying down beside Harry? Especially if he was afraid of Harry. Perhaps he was spying?

 _Should I have a look? Just to be sure?_ He suggested for Ginny.

 _Yes, do that._

Harry lay down, pretending to sleep, and peered inside Malfoy's mind. He was met with an overwhelming pool of thoughts. Half of them were centred around Harry, and Harry dived into them to investigate. There was fear for him alright, just like Ginny had concluded. But that was based on a nearly unhealthy heap of respect that he fought to hide for the sake of his housemates. The way he thought of Harry was muddled with a confusing combination of fear, respect, and even comfort and security.

 _What? Where does that come from?_ Ginny inquired, peering into Malfoy's mind through Harry.

Harry decided to investigate further. It was odd to see himself from a different perspective. Especially such an alien one. Impressions of him appeared that he had never thought to describe himself with. But the more he looked, the better he understood Malfoy's odd behaviour.

 _How can he find you both terrifying and a source of safety at the same time?_ Ginny asked.

 _He view me as a person with authority and power. But he knows that I won't harm anyone unnecessarily, anyone who haven't hurt me or my friends. He's not stupid,_ Harry said.

 _I never said he was. It's only something you say to get him fired up,_ she replied, her hand taking his as she moved closer. _Still. It's odd that he can view someone his own age as safe. That's why he came to you now, isn't it? Rather than sleeping with his mates? He's afraid of Pettigrew and what happened tonight, and you make him feel safe. Because you're powerful. And kind-hearted._

Harry turned to face her and smiled weakly before he pressed a kiss to her forehead. _Though what does it say about his loyalty once Voldemort returns? His father was a Death Eater. I saw his Dark Mark when he visited Hogwarts after the Chamber, and I don't believe a second that he was Imperiused._

 _His father might do one thing, but if Malfoy is brave enough, strong enough, you might find him doing something else than that, despite his admiration of Malfoy Sr.,_ Ginny said.

 _Mhm…_

They fell quiet, and within no time, both were asleep.

"How in the world did you manage to sleep at all?" Hermione asked exasperatedly the next morning, once seeing that Harry and Ginny were awake. Ron was awake too, and looked like he hadn't slept a moment.

"Gin's here," was Harry's only response.

Professor Flitwick opened the doors and clapped his hands with a bright smile on his face. "Rise and shine, children!" he squeaked cheerfully, "the school is safe. You should head to your dormitories and get changed for breakfast. Classes will start as usual."

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Neville were summoned to Dumbledore's office right after Herbology that day. Harry, who had a faint idea of what he might want, brought the letters from Hogwarts, which he had kept in his trunk until now. All four agreed to Hermione being in on it, so she followed them up the moving staircase and into Dumbledore's office.

They all looked around curiously at the many portraits, rather delicate silver instruments stationed on top of spindly tables, and the brilliant red bird that was Fawkes the phoenix. Last time Harry had been in here, he had feared that he was about to be expelled, and hadn't taken time for that because he had been so nervous.

This time Dumbledore sat by his desk when they entered, and Professor McGonagall occupied a chair beside it.

"Ah, there you are!" Dumbledore said before his gaze fell upon Hermione. "Miss Granger, I am afraid that this is a private conversation between Messrs Weasley, Longbottom, Potter and Mrs. Potter."

"We would prefer it if she stayed, sir," Harry said with strained politeness, "we will tell her everything afterwards anyway."

Dumbledore gave him a defeated look and nodded. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips in disapproval, but said nothing.

"Perhaps you have an idea of why you four have been asked to come?" Dumbledore let his eyes wander between Harry, Ron, Ginny and Neville.

They nodded hesitantly.

"I would very much like to know why you do not sleep in the second and third year dorms, and rather share one large between the four of you," Dumbledore said, "I am also curious as to why you haven't told your Head of House about this." He gestured towards Professor McGonagall.

Neville glanced at Harry expectantly, and he placed the first letter on the Headmaster's desk. "This one appeared on my bed September 1st," he said, "when we discovered that Ginny's bed and trunk was gone from her dorm.

Dumbledore skimmed through it with raised brows, and then handed it to Professor McGonagall.

"Did it ever occur to you that it might be a fake?" she inquired.

"We watched it appear. All three of us," Harry said, gesturing towards, himself, Ron and Neville, "A door appeared in the wall beside my bed at the same time, with a bathroom, so Ginny didn't have to share with the boys, and I think Hogwarts did some magic to prevent Dean and Seamus to seeing her and her dormmates from noticing the absence of her bed. And besides, how could it be a fake when that dormitory appeared only shortly later, and Ginny's bed vanished?"

"When you put it that way, I suppose it is plausible," Professor McGonagall said contemplatingly, staring at Harry, "only that I have never heard of the castle itself communicating with its residents."

"Still, how come Messrs. Longbottom and Weasley stayed in your suite, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked carefully, pressing his fingertips against each other, making a triangle.

Harry let him read the letter they had found in the second bedroom. "Simply because they wanted to, and we found no-one else who might need it, so we let them."

"Are your parents aware of the two of you sharing bed, Mrs. Potter?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry realized that Dumbledore was still oblivious to their emancipation, which was a bit odd, since he and Ginny were married and all. Ginny mirrored his feelings with a frown.

"Yes, of course. Not that they have anything to say about it. We are emancipated, and I don't live there anymore, something which you probably figured," Ginny said sharply, glaring at the Headmaster with hate.

"May I ask where you live now?" Dumbledore asked.

"So you can try to obliviate Ginny again?" Harry demanded, "I'm not telling you."

"Now, Mr. Potter, please don't jump to any conclusions. I only thought it was best – " Dumbledore tried, looking helplessly at Harry.

"What you thought was best was to remove a lifechanging event from a girl's mind, and pretend like everything was like it was in order to be my 'Right Hand'. Well, I'll tell you what; you failed. Ever since the Chamber, you have had no chance. The prophecy never even meant you. It was Ginny all along."

"How do you know about the prophecy?" Dumbledore asked with alarm etched into every inch of his face. He looked like he was about to stand up, his body tense as a deer watching a hunter.

"I'm not telling you," Harry said firmly.

"Mr. Potter, I implore you to inform me of your source of the prophecy," Dumbledore demanded, standing.

Harry merely glared at him and stood. He shoved Ginny in front of him as he turned towards the door, shielding her from any attacks. Hermione, Ron and Neville stood as well, but they all had their wands in hand, ready to defend their friends. Keeping a close eye on Dumbledore's magic, Harry reached over Ginny's shoulder and opened the door. It shut within two seconds with a loud SLAM!

"I'm afraid that is not an option, Mr. Potter. I demand an answer! The prophecy contains very sensitive information," Dumbledore declared firmly.

Harry ignored it and placed his hand on the door. Hogwarts' magic felt him and recognized him. There was, however, nothing she could do to Dumbledore's spell. Growing angry, Harry gathered his powers and rushed them into the door, colliding with Dumbledore's strange spell. He pushed hard only for a few seconds before there was a loud bang, similar to an explosion, and the door was blasted off its hinges.

"Mr. Potter!" Dumbledore shouted, and Harry threw a shield behind Hermione's Shield Charm, which took the brunt of the attack, and failed.

Harry felt his anger increasing rapidly, making his blood boil and fought to stay in control. His hands were trembling in fury, allowing raw magic to glow from his palms. "Leave my friends and my family alone!" he shouted and herded the whole group out through the door.

Once they reached the Headmaster's corridor, Ginny reached for his hand and sent calming sensations to him. He squeezed her hand in gratitude and offered her a small smile.

"The nerve of him!" Ron glowered hotly, shooting glances towards the gargoyle and the stairs.

"We have to change the password of our room," Ginny reflected out loud.

"Do you know how to do that?" Hermione said inquisitively, peering at her as she shoved a strand of bushy, brown hair behind her ear.

"Harry can only ask Hogwarts to do it," Ginny said. They hurried through the school until they reached the Gryffindor Common Room.

They passed straight through, and Harry was able to make a new password at the tapestry ("wolfsbane"). After that, they stayed in the parlour until dinner.

Dumbledore didn't ask them about their sleeping arrangements anymore, but Professor McGonagall pulled Harry aside after Transfiguration and clarified some rules for him, and wanted him to promise not to break them.

"I can't promise you that, Professor," Harry said, a little uncomfortable. "We don't know how our bond will develop as we grow up. Bill reckons that there might be some instincts that will appear in a few years that might… lead to some things." He felt his cheeks growing hot, and refused to meet Professor McGonagall's eyes while he said it.

"Alright. Thank you for informing me, Mr. Potter. I can agree that your situation is not a normal one, which is hardly something we should learn to expect from you," she said with a resigned smile.

"I'm really glad that there are at least someone of the staff that I can trust to not either obliviate my wife or jump my throat any second. I'm really grateful for your support, Professor. Both of us are."

Her smile grew even wider. "I am merely doing my duty as your Head of House, Mr. Potter, but I am glad you think so."


	19. A Chaser and a chased

The Christmas holidays passed in a flurry. The Weasleys and the Potters celebrated at the Burrow, with Hermione dropping by for Boxing day with the Knight Bus. Mr. Weasley had kindly put an enlargement charm on Ginny's bed, which made it rather cramped inside, but Harry and Ginny were still grateful. It meant that they didn't have to stay up hours each not because they couldn't sleep, and then fall asleep together on the sofa in the middle of the day.

As soon as they got back to Hogwarts, Wood had Harry test out every single thing about his new Firebolt, which Sirius had given him for Christmas. There had been some yelling from Harry on New Year's Eve when Sirius had come over to the Burrow, about him spending way too much money on Harry, but Sirius had refused to listen.

"Well, you needed a new broom, and only the best is good enough for my godson," he declared.

The broom was fantastic. It was basically flawless. It turned on the lightest of finger touch, as if it obeyed his thoughts rather than his grip. It was so fast he could easily outstrip the Bludgers, and he caught the Snitch in no time.

Ginny usually stayed with Harry to watch the practice, and she often had her go flying his broom while Harry was in the shower. One afternoon Wood even had her throw Quaffles at him while the others went to shower. He was apparently not satisfied with his own work for the practice. He was rather surprised when he discovered that Ginny gave him a rather hard challenge.

"You better keep on practicing, Potter, and you might make the team in a year or two!" he shouted at her as he headed for the showers.

Thus, Ginny was a single, wide grin when Harry emerged from the showers.

"Well, when you're shooting at Ron, you have to get good. He's as good a keeper as Wood," Harry said.

"Wouldn't it be great if he took the place after Wood? I'm sure he could make the team."

They trudged the way up to the castle and into the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione, Ron and Neville were there already. They were chatting excitedly with each other, smiling and laughing. Neville was immersed in a book that he had received from his grandmother for Christmas, and looked up and smiled when Ginny and Harry sat down across of him, Ron and Hermione.

"Harry, look what I found," Ron said. He stuck his hand in his pocket and fished out a scruffy-looking rat by the tail. Harry didn't have to do a doubletake.

"Ginny! It's him!" he shouted, and was on his feet in a second. People turned to look at him with confusion, but Harry ignored them. Pettigrew was already on the move. He bit Ron, who hissed and let go of him, allowing the rat to drop to the floor and run out of sight.

Harry spotted the rat scurry over the floor towards the exit, and broke into a run down the Gryffindor table. Ginny was already going; her tabby was sprinting below the benches and between feet as she chased after him. He realized that her idea would be much better than his.

"Percy!" Harry yelled before he transformed into his eagle, hoping Percy got the clue. He didn't have time to look, but heard the rustling of wings behind him as he hurdled out of the Great Hall and down the corridor after Ginny's cat and Pettigrew. His eagle eyes tuned in on the prey as the two birds ate up the distance to the rat quickly. Just as Percy went in for a dive, Pettigrew angled right and out through a hole in the wall.

Growling in frustration, Harry transformed and used his wand to blast open a window, which he and Percy flew through, and continued the chase. It amazed Harry how fast that little traitor could run. In the snow Pettigrew was rather easy to see.

Percy had a higher altitude due to the advantage of his dive, but he was still the one who managed to catch Pettigrew as he sprinted between a thorny rose bush to the roots of the Whomping Willow. He swooped down and caught him in his talons and was gone before the Whomping Willow even managed to react to his presence.

Harry sagged in relief, and winged back to the castle after Percy, who looked very pleased with himself. They encountered Ginny as she trotted back into the Great Hall and transformed back to human form. Percy headed straight for Professor Lupin, who, upon seeing the rat that was writhing in his talons, raised his hands to catch him as Percy dropped him with impressive accuracy. He made a turn above the professors and transformed on the floor in front of the Head Table beside Harry.

"I'm not letting you go, you filthy, little traitor," Lupin's uncharacteristic growl echoed in the Great Hall. Harry and Percy had their wands ready, aimed at the rat, which Lupin held by its neck. He then did a spell that flashed blue before it hit the rat, which disappeared from view, and a short, grubby-looking man with watery eyes and thin hair appeared in front of them, in the middle of the Great Hall.

"Remus… Remus, please!" He pleaded, watching Professor Lupin warily, and then turned to Harry. "Your father wouldn't have wanted this, Harry, I only did what I had to do!"

"Betraying my parents? Your best friends? What kind of friend are you?" Harry snapped angrily, his wand pointed straight at him.

" I d-didn't have a choice! H-he would have killed me! Your father – "

"Then you should have died!" Professor Lupin shouted furiously, "You should have died rather than to betray your friends!"

"I-I'd have – " Pettigrew began as he backed hurriedly away from him and Harry.

"EVERYONE HAS A CHOICE, YOU FILTHY LITTLE VERMIN!" Harry roared, giving a bloody damn if the whole school was staring at him, prowling after him like a tiger on the hunt, "You chose to betray them to Voldemort, and for all intents and purposes, YOU KILLED THEM! You killed my mum and dad, you condemned my godfather, your best friend, to Azkaban for eleven years without a moment of remorse!"

The castle was trembling. In his fury, Harry's magic had escaped his control, and was now toppling over tables, putting napkins on fire, and several windows to shatter. Worst of all was the magic that he did consciously; lightball after lightball flew from his hand towards Pettigrew, who dodged and transformed back into a rat. They left large, black smoking marks on the stones, the walls, benches and the benches, where students had thrown themselves aside. Some of them were even odder; causing great blue or green patches on the floor in their wake, reeking of something foul unfamiliar, and hissed as they etched deep into the stone floor.

Hadn't Neville, Hermione and Ron been too preoccupied with untangling from the toppled benches and table with the masses of food thown over them, they would obviously have helped Harry, but at the moment they could only watch him chasing after Pettigrew one more time with Lupin right behind, jumping to avoid the ugly spots and holes in the floor.

Then Dumbledore stood and waved his wand. It had no use until Harry had left the Great Hall, and the worst of his powers werent aimed inside the Great Hall anymore. Then at last, tables rose to their feet, benches straightened, and the food that had ended on the floor vanished. Shattered jugs were mended, and dents in the tableware straightened out.

"Please stay calm everyone. The teachers and I will go and assist Mr. Potter and Professor Lupin, and I leave the Head Boy and Girl and the prefects in charge. You will all wait here until we are certain that the castle is once again safe," Dumbledore said calmly before he lead the professors out of the room.

Instantly, the level of noise rose as students discussed what they had witnessed. Fred and George hauled Percy over to Ron, Hermione and Neville, who were soon joined by Ginny as well.

"Why didn't you follow him, Ginny?" Ron complained.

"Because they are already in the Forbidden Forest. I'd have no chance catching up with them," she said, and then her gaze grew distant for a moment before she sagged in disappointment. "He's gone. Disapparated, Harry thinks. Doesn't need a wand for that, apparently."

Harry was muttering furiously to himself as Dumbledore, Professors McGonagall, Snape, Vector and Babbling came towards them, and tiny Professor Flitwick struggling to keep up on his short feet.

"Mr. Potter! What happened?" Professor McGonagall demanded, reaching him first.

"He escaped, Professor. He apparated as soon as we got outide of the borders. I'm sorry," he sighed in defeat.

"We do not blame you, Potter," she told him firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "you did your best. Although, it is good to know that he is gone from Hogwarts. I sincerely doubt he will return anytime soon."

Harry nodded faintly and stalked off, feeling the stares of all the professors at his back. Instead of heading back to the castle, he made his way through the snow to the Great Lake. The cold had his breath smoke every time he exhaled. In the distance he heard Dumbledore talking to Professor Lupin, who sounded just as angry as Harry. There was only a lonely set of tracks following the edge of the frozen lake. They weren't new; the snow from last night had blurred them, causing them to look like indentions in the flawless white carpet that covered the ground.

The branches of the trees were covered with snow. Occasionally, a lump would slide off with a soft thump as it landed on the ground. Only the Whomping Willow was completely bare of snow. There was a large hole in the middle of the ice, which Harry thought was credit to the Giant Squid.

He kicked some snow. It flew to the air and spread in tiny particles, falling back to the ground like fresh snow from the sky. If he had been a little faster, if he had stunned Pettigrew immediately the first time, then he could have been trialled for his wrong-doing. He should be fed to the dementors, Harry thought angrily.

The worst thing, though, was that Pettigrew had lived amongst the Weasleys for eleven years, and heard information about him, Dumbledore and everything that was going on. He had for eleven years been close enough to them to kill them all without a problem.

He shuddered. His stomach felt queasy, and grew worse the more he thought of it. He wondered how much he had heard about their bond. How much would he tattle on to Riddle?

With a pang he realized why Crookshanks had always been sneaking around, always seeming to search for something; that clever, oversized cat had known all the time! He must've entered through Ron's bag, with the way Crookshanks had been staring at it so intently. All he had to do was to slip out of Ron and Neville's room and scoot over to Harry and Ginny's and then kill Harry.

He still felt for Ron, though, who had lost his highly loved pet in a matter of minutes last summer. Perhaps Harry could give him some new pet? After all, his birthday was coming up in March. He decided to discuss it with Ginny before the next visit to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day.

With new determination, he headed back to the castle. When he entered the Great Hall, realization hit him like a Bludger; he had messed up the whole Great Hall because of his lack of control. Looking around worriedly, he tried to see if anyone were hurt, before he remembered that if anyone were, they would already be in Madam Pomfrey's care.

He hurried over to the Gryffindor table, feeling awfully guilty as he sank down beside Ginny.

"No," she said, immediately, answering Harry's nagging question.

He sagged in relief and squeezed her hand for comfort. She returned it with a smile of affection.

"I'm really sorry, you guys," Harry said, turning to Ron, Fred, George, Percy and Ginny. "I should have spotted him before. He'd been hiding in Ron's bag to get into our room. And he's probably stayed on the grounds since that night."

"How were you supposed to know?" Ron said dismissively, "You didn't see him."

"But still. He'd been in your home for eleven years; he could have killed you in the middle of the night!"

"I'll admit that it's really nasty to think about," George said,

"But he's gone now. If you want to, you can check our chickens and Errol as well," Fred added with a grin.

"Don't forget Hermes," Ginny reminded them with a jokeful sparkle in her eyes.

Percy gave her a glare, having finally settled after doing his Head Boy duties during the chaos. "Anyway, Harry, don't beat yourself for it. All we can do now is to wait and see what he does. I'm fairly certain that he won't return to the Burrow, and especially not Hogwarts after your display, Harry. Almost everyone are terrified."

Harry looked around guiltily, and caught many of the students looking at him with eyes wide of fear. They quickly turned away when they realized that they had been caught, and started muttering to their friends.

Sighing, Harry reached for some cottage pie. The elves had apparently been very efficient in replacing the spoiled food. He decided that he should apologize to the Headmaster for his outburst, despite his distaste for the man. Also, he wanted to apologize to the elves, who had to stress to get more food than expected up to the Great Hall.

In the following days Harry was avoided like the plague by the student population. The Weasleys, Hermione and Neville stood infallibly by his side. Harry formally apologized to the Headmaster and to the house-elves. Meanwhile, school went on pretty close to usual. Neville, who was no longer particularly scared about Snape, had risen to be one of the best in class. Hermione had given up becoming better than Harry as long as he had his magic-reading powers, but she and Neville were fighting about the second best spot almost every Potions class.

On the other end of the scale were Crabbe and Goyle, unsurprisingly, but unpredictably, also Malfoy.

"He's been acting oddly the whole year," Hermione said as they were heading to potions class in early February, "didn't you say he both respected you, feared you and felt safe – "

"Yes, but it doesn't explain why he's performing so badly in potions!" Harry replied.

"Perhaps he's like me before Snape's tale," Neville suggested, lowering his voice as Parkinson, Zabini and Nott passed them, "nervous and clumsy?"

"Nervous, that's a definite," Ron said thoughtfully, "clumsy, though..?"

"Should we talk to him?" Hermione asked anxiously, looking at Harry, and then at Ron.

"We?" Neville exclaimed, his voice raising a field or two. "There is no 'we'. If anyone, it's Harry. Malfoy would yell the three of us down, but Harry, he wouldn't dare to."

"Why in the world should I talk to Malfoy for?" Harry snapped and pushed through the door to the potions classroom, "To find out why he's so bad in potions all of the sudden? I have no use for him."

Neville and Hermione didn't get the opportunity to reply, since Snape entered as soon as they had taken their places, and strode through the classroom to the blackboard.

"There is no point in readying your kit just yet. You will be switching places. Today, I decide who you work with." Snape smiled coldly. His gaze met Harry's for a short moment and then looked away quickly. "Weasley and Zabini. Brown and Bulstrode. Granger and Crabbe. Patil and Davis. Potter and Malfoy. Goyle and Longbottom. Thomas and Nott. Finnigan and Greengrass. The Gracefulness Potion. I gather that several of you will need it," Snape said, "Get to work."

There was a lot of shuffling. Harry, not bothering to argue, snatched his things and moved over to Malfoy's desk as Crabbe moved to join Hermione. Harry didn't envy her the least, and mouthed a 'good luck' to her. She made a face.

Malfoy started readying his potions kit, and Harry pulled out his book and opened it at the correct page, with notes written in black ink between the lines and in the margin.

"I'll get the ingredients, then," Harry said and pulled out some jars from his internally enlarged potions bag.

He felt, rather than saw Malfoy looking at him as he did, but every time Harry tried to catch him at it, he was already looking another way.

"Let's see… heart of swan, dried honeysuckle, unicorn horn, watercress, nightweed…" Harry muttered as he pulled out the jars. Each of then had the name of their ingredient carved into the glass, and some of them a number below it.

Malfoy picked up the jar with nightweed and started to measure it on his scale while Harry ground the unicorn horn to give half an ounce.

"Potter?" Malfoy's voice was abnormally gentle, almost timid. It had Harry look at him with a frown. He refused to meet Harry's eyes, and stared intently on the jar of nightweed.

"Yes?"

"The numbers… is there something that I have to know when using it?" he asked, turning the jar's letters towards Harry.

"No, that's not important right now. Gin and I just write them down to remember at what time of the night they were harvested. It means a lot to their power in brewing, see," Harry explained.

Malfoy nodded faintly and continued his work weighing the nightweed until he was content with the amount. They worked quietly for a while, although Harry noticed the slight fumbling in everything that Malfoy did. Remembering what he had learned from Malfoy's mind, he decided not to tease him for it. Instead he tried the gentler approach.

"I'm not going to bite you, you know. I'm not dangerous."

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Malfoy's grip tightening around the shaft he was using to chop the swan hearts.

"I saw you attacking Dumbledore. And that rat animagus," Malfoy muttered quietly.

"Well, they deserved it. As far as I know, the only thing you've done is teasing and bullying, which hasn't happened in a while, so as of yet I have no reason to attack you like that," Harry explained to him in a low voice, shooting a glance at Snape, who was busy hovering over Lavender and Millicent Bulstrode's cauldron.

They fell quiet again, and began to add their ingredients into the cauldron.

"I'm sorry," Malfoy said after a while.

Harry looked at him bewildered. "What for?" Then he tried to look at the potion to see if Malfoy had done a mistake in the brewing, but so far it looked alright.

"For being a bully, I mean," Malfoy muttered, his cheeks now being bright red.

Harry dropped the soaked watercress into the cauldron, frowning. "Why would you apologize now? The Malfoy that I know would never have apologized to me unless a professor forced him to. What happened?"

Malfoy didn't answer at once. He shifted uncomfortably and stood completely still, his gaze locked on the cauldron.

"I saw you at the train September 1st. That dementor… they are supposed to be immortal. If… if you have the power to kill a dementor, not to mention beating up Dumbledore, then… if Dumbledore is right in that the Dark Lord will return, I don't want to side with him, because he would undoubtedly lose against you."

"That's your only reason?" Harry raised a brow at him, annoyed. If he only sided with him because he didn't want to lose, Harry didn't want to associate with him at all. "You don't care a damn about the fact that he tortured killed innocent people for sport during the war?" he hissed angrily at Malfoy, who grew deadly pale under Harry's stare.

Malfoy's response was so low that Harry only caught a few words, and one of them sounded awfully similar to "mudblood", which fuelled Harry's anger even more.

"Mudblood, huh? Should I call you inbred racist, and ask you how you feel?" He growled hatefully, and had to fight a satisfied smile when Malfoy flushed even redder. "If you looked around you, you wouldn't be able out who was a muggleborn and who was a pureblood if they didn't tell you. And muggles are just human beings born without magic. It's like you and Zabini; you're white; he's dark. It doesn't make any of you less human because of it. You only have to understand it. Prejudice is based on lack of knowledge and fear. You aren't afraid of muggles, are you, Malfoy?" Harry cocked a brow at him, and Malfoy quickly shook his head.

"Mud – I mean, muggleborns wouldn't understand wizards and witches very well," Malfoy muttered defensively. "That's how you can tell."

"You don't understand muggles very well either. Besides, _I'm_ not a muggleborn, but I won't claim to understand the way witches and wizards think," Harry retorted hotly. "Besides, look at Hermione. She's brilliant. Just imagine how many creative and clever minds you miss by condemning muggleborns. Giv'em a shot."

With his hands shaking in anger, he returned to the task at hand, trying place his focus elsewhere, before lost control again.

They completed the potion with only a few necessary words, during which time Harry realized that Neville had indeed been right about Malfoy's results in potions, or rather lack of results. Several times he nearly made mistakes In the brewing, resulting in Harry doing the last steps by himself. But it still turned sunset orange rather than canary yellow.

"Did you stir one too many times?" he asked Malfoy, whose face reddened, and his gaze flickered to Harry's face anxiously.

"Sorry. I-I forgot."

With a soft sigh Harry set to fixing the potion, and managed it just before Snape told them to bottle it. Malfoy was already throwing his things together when Harry returned to their workbench, and even managed to throw his copy of _Magical Drafts and Potions_ into the cauldron, which still contained the potion.

Harry took the book and tapped it with his wand, causing the potion to disappear from it. Flicking through it, he made sure no pages stuck to each other and handed it back to Malfoy, who stared into the workbench, looking ashamed of himself. With another wave and a muttered spell, Harry vanished the content of the cauldron. Scooping his ingredients back into his and Ginny's potions bag, he swung it over his shoulder and strode out of the classroom with Hermione, Ron and Neville running to catch up with him.

He told them about the conversation with Malfoy on the way to lunch, where Ginny met them. Ron got furious with Malfoy's declarations against muggleborns, and glared angrily at Malfoy across the Great Hall.

"Slimy little git! I hope you terrified him properly, Harry!"

"He did," Neville said, "Malfoy was shaking; I saw it. Even made a mistake, didn't he, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "You were right about that, by the way."


	20. A Home

Harry and Ginny had made a special request for Eeyelops after asking Ron discretely what he would choose if he had an option between a cat, an owl and a toad. Ginny had jokingly suggested another rat, which earned her a disgusted scowl from Ron. He had quickly settled on an owl, so that was why March 1st Ron entered the parlour before breakfast to find a small, brown specked tawny owl in a cage perched on the table.

At first he had yelled at Harry in utter shock, and then rather humbly thanked him and named the owl Joey after the Chudley Cannons Beater Joey Jenkins.

With Pettigrew on the loose, Harry and his friends kept an eye out for any rats that they saw, and more than once an innocent rat was stunned by the Stunning Spell that Harry looked up in a book on defensive magic, and taught the younger Weasleys, Neville and Hermione. Fred and George helpfully kept an eye out on the Marauder's Map, but without any luck. Thus, the year progressed rather peacefully towards June – unless you counted Snape's still mean and hateful comments to his students, Malfoy's odd behaviour and the trouble with finding the last Horcrux.

The weeks leading up to the exams Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Neville were found almost constantly reading some textbook. Ron was a little harder to convince, but when he realized that only a few weeks remained, he pulled up his sleeves and started cramming as well. With all their extracurricular studies, the practical magic seemed like piece of cake for Harry and Ginny. They focussed mainly on the theory, definitions and descriptions of spells, potions and creatures.

The exams were intense enough, but Lupin managed to give them a practical exam that also was fun to do. Lupin had been supplied with the Wolfsbane Potion for every full moon so far, but on the last day of the exams, after Harry had completed his Charms exam, he realized that things were not right. The full moon was tonight, but there wasn't a single trace of the Wolfsbane Potion in Lupin's body.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Neville packed their trunks immediately after the exams, and left dinner after noticing Professor Lupin's absence, and searched through the castle for him. After two hours they were forced to cave in and go to Fred and George, who undoubtedly held the Map.

"We saw him heading through the passage to the Shrieking Shack a while ago," Fred said, "but we don't know if he just used it to get into Hogsmeade unseen. Why are you asking? Is there something wrong?"

"He hasn't taken the Wolfsbane Potion this month," Harry stressed, looking impatiently between the twins.

"Then I suppose we'd head off and keep him company before he hurts himself," George said.

Harry nodded in agreement, and they ran outside to the Whomping Willow. Crookshanks came trotting proudly from the Forest with a rat in his mouth and dropped it at Hermione's feet.

"What have you got there, Crookshanks?" She asked, crouching and rubbing his fur before she poked the rat with a twig to look at him.

Harry stopped just out of the reach of the Whomping Willow and watched Hermione as she turned the rat. He saw no magic in the rat, so he was fairly certain that the rat was just a common rat, but he took no chances in case Pettigrew had overheard something and managed to find a way to hide his own magic from Harry.

"It's got all toes intact," Hermione said and muttered the animagus-reversal spell. It didn't do anything, and everyone sagged in relief.

"Give Crookshanks his dinner back," Ginny said and walked on towards the Whomping Willow.

The next moment she was forced to throw herself flat on the ground as a branch swung straight over her head. "Harry!" she shouted, trying to find her wand, which she had lost during her dive.

Harry was about to shoot a stunner at the tree when Crookshanks bounced over Ginny and slithered between the waving branches to the foot of the tree. He pressed a knot on the trunk, and the tree froze, as if it had been hit by a Full Body-Bind Curse, before disappearing inside a hole between the roots. Ginny managed to find her wand and followed him inside, seeing Crookshanks' tail bobbing in and out of view as she followed the tunnel.

Instead of following, Harry held Neville back. "If you enter, and Professor Lupin transforms, he will attack you. I'll teach you how to become an Animagus later, but right now there's not enough time."

"Animagus?" Neville repeated, "all of you? I knew about you and Ginny, but…"

"The others are not registered. I'll explain later. Just go back to the castle, and if you see a wolf nearby, stun it." Harry then hurried after the others into the earthy hole and crawled through it for many long minutes.

In the meantime Ginny and Crookshanks had found the way into a deserted, but dusty room. There was nothing but a door in there, and very dark. Holding her wand up in front of her, Ginny muttered a quiet "lumos".

Fred, George, Hermione and Ron came in behind her, and soon, four wands were lit, and they quietly eased the door open. It lead into a dim hallway with a wooden chair perched in one corner. Or at least the remains of it. Large chunks of its legs were broken off. Ginny let her sense of emotions lead her up the almost collapsed stairs. The steps were mostly covered with dust, but one single pair of footsteps were visible.

She cursed quietly when one of the steps creaked under her foot. The last few steps she stepped on very gingerly, both for the fear of sound, and for the fear of the staircase collapsing. Up on the dark landing, all the doors were closed. The footsteps lead into one of the rooms. She assumed that Lupin was in there, so she knocked rather than expose herself to attacks from him.

"Get ready," she whispered. "Professor Lupin?"

A few seconds passed in silence, and she tried again. "Professor; Harry says you've forgotten your potion."

The door opened, and Lupin's amber eyes peered out, shining in the light from the wands.

"You shouldn't be here!" he hissed, sounding afraid.

"You think we are going to let you harm yourself when we know how to prevent it?" George raised a brow at him, "We are animagi, and if what you said is correct, then we can be of at least some support, even if we can't replace Harry's dad and Sirius."

Lupin hesitated, watching them with criticism, until Harry arrived behind all of them.

"You don't have to go through this on your own, Professor. Sirius isn't here to help you, and I know that he would've wanted us to be here for you," he said. "You might as well let us in right now."

The silence lasted until Ron forcefully pushed the door open and stepped into the room as Lupin was pushed backwards and down on the bed so a cloud of dust rose from it. He transformed into his lion form and lay down on the floor, watching Lupin with a challenging expression.

Ginny copied, turning herself into her cat, and leaped up on the bed. She sat down by one of the shredded curtains and watched him patiently. Hermione had already taken place beside her in her otter form, and Fred and George were sneezing from the dust, mock fighting on the floor.

Harry took his form as a tiger, startling Professor Lupin, who hadn't known he was a Shapeshifter. Harry knew he had to explain it later, but at the moment, he was tackled from behind by Ron, and they began a rather rough wrestling fight.

Lupin watched with amusement while Ginny took place in his lap, rubbing against his chest. He scratched her a bit under her chin, causing her to purr.

"Ouch," he said as her claws dug into his thighs. He pushed gently at her paws to get her to stop, but she just rubbed her face against his chest again, clawing even more.

It was with a hiss some twenty minutes later that Ginny was thrown down on the floor as Professor Lupin transformed into a werewolf. The wolf instantly began to sniff around, undoubtedly searching for humans, but then a low growl from Ron brought his attention elsewhere. Lupin paused to watch Ron, who nudged him over and over until the two tumbled over the floor in a playfight. Ron being far bigger than Lupin, secured the victory in no time.

All through the night they kept Lupin company. To their reward, the wolf was surprisingly calm compared to what Harry had expected a werewolf to be. He decided to ask Lupin about it later.

By sunrise, six animals and one human were still sleeping inside the Shrieking Shack. Hermione, being as early as usual, stretched in her otter form, yawned and looked around. Spotting Lupin, she turned back to human and nudged Ron, Harry and Fred and George, who were nearest. Ginny had taken up position between Harry's paws.

"Professor Lupin?" she asked carefully, crouching on the floor where Lupin lay, flat on his stomach.

The others turned back to humans with varying degrees of sleepiness. Ginny transformed, only to crawl on top of Harry and snuggle sleepily. Professor Lupin pushed himself up on his arms and looked around before his cheeks turned rosy red.

"Are you alright, Professor?" Hermione asked carefully.

"Yes. Yes, I'm very well. Thank you for keeping me company," he said a little awkwardly.

"It's not a big deal," Harry said dismissively, "but I was wondering how you forgot the potion, sir."

"Lots on my mind, Harry," Professor Lupin said, "though there isn't really any better excuse than that."

"Did… did you think you could go through the full moon out here alone?" Hermione asked, looking doubtful, "I mean, without the potion and without any distractions?"

Ginny sat up and peered at Professor Lupin curiously, although she looked barely awake.

Professor Lupin sighed. "I had do hope, hadn't I? It worked while I studied at Hogwarts, so I figured it would work now as well. I-I don't know what I'd done if I had hurt anyone during full moon." He lowered his gaze worriedly, and a thin line appeared on his forehead.

"What are you going to do now?" George asked gently, peering at Lupin with curiosity.

"I'll send a letter of resignation to the Headmaster," he said, "if parents figured that their children were taught by a werewolf, I'd be in great trouble."

"You can't quit!" Hermione exclaimed desperately. Harry felt that he mirrored her emotions. If Lupin quit, they'd probably be back with teachers on level with Quirrel and Lockhart, and with the threat of Voldemort waiting in the future, that was not something that Harry appreciated at the moment.

"You're the best teacher we've ever had!" Fred agreed.

"If you resign, I'll never forgive you!" George said hotly, twirling his wand threateningly.

Lupin's face was filled with apology and desperation. "I am really sorry, but I really can't stay. I know you don't mind that I'm a werewolf, but everyone else will."

"Not Neville!" Harry said vehemently.

"Not Luna either!" Ginny added.

"Or Lee," George chimed in.

"Or Angelina or Alicia," Fred said.

Lupin seemed to struggle with himself. He stood from the floor and brushed some dust off of his clothes. Then he looked at the teenagers again, ashamed of himself. "I can't. Sorry," he said, settling the matter. Harry wanted to cry in frustration. Dumbledore wouldn't have a single possible chance to find a teacher that could compete with Lupin.

"But – " Hermione began, but a pleading look from Lupin quieted her.

Ron tactly changed the subject. "I think we should head back to the castle. I'm starving," grasping Harry's left arm, he checked the watch, "and we've only got five minutes to breakfast. The train is leaving in a few hours too, and I didn't finish packing yesterday."

"Then let's go," Harry said. Ginny, who felt way too tired to get up yet, transformed back into her cat form and clung to Harry, forcing him to carry her out. She fell asleep soon enough. Behind him followed Fred and George, who were talking quietly to each other.

The group headed back to the castle, and straight to the Great Hall. Ginny nodded off for a few minutes only, and blinked blearily as they entered the Great Hall, but didn't do much more than to shift a little to get comfortable in Harry's arms until he placed her on the bench beside him.

"Come on, Gin. Breakfast time," Harry said softly and started to dish up on her plate with her favourites.

She transformed and shot Harry a thankful look before starting on her meal.

"Dad said tha he might be able to get tickets for the World Cup this summer," Ron said around a mouthful of scrambled eggs, "I really hope he will. Perhaps he can get tickets for you too, Harry?"

"Of course he will!" Ginny said firmly, poking a sausage with her fork, "he wouldn't leave me behind, and if I were going, Harry is going too."

"In any case, I'm certain that Sirius will do all that he can to get some tickets. And that stubborn mule usually gets what he wants," Harry chuckled.

"About Sirius, where is he living now? Didn't he house with Professor Lupin?" Hermione wondered as she reached for a meatpie.

"He wrote that he was staying at Grimmauld Place, but that he hated it," Harry said. "Ginny and I were thinking of inviting both him and Lupin to stay with us, since Lupin had to move from his previous home, so he doesn't have anything right now I don't think."

"That's really kind of you, Harry," Hermione said with a smile, "It's not like you don't have space enough."

"We should find Professor Lupin afterwards," Ginny said. She reached over and snatched a strip of bacon from Harry's plate, who had given up complaining at her.

"Mhm," was his only reply.

Unfortunately, they couldn't find Lupin before they had to run out of the castle to catch the last horse-less carriages down to Hogsmeade Station. Once Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Neville had found a compartment, Harry quickly scribbled a note, which he gave to Hedwig, who clamped it in her beak before taking off through the train window.

The Quidditch Cup was hottest topic on the travel back to London. Neville tried to keep up with Harry, Ron and Ginny's conversation, while Hermione found her copy of _Housing House-Elves: Immoral or kind?_ capturing, and barely looked up until they reached London.

"Have you heard from Dobby, Harry?" she asked as she shut her book, stowing it into her trunk that Ron and Neville had lifted down for her.

"No, I haven't. I assume he's found himself work somewhere. I told him to come and find me if he didn't," Harry said and pulled his trunk out of the compartment, "anyway, are you coming over tomorrow, Neville?"

"Yeah, sure. I think I got the floo address right," Neville said, "You'll teach me to become an Animagus, right?"

"Of course. And we're going to map the last rows in the library – "

"Did you read all the books?" Ron asked with disbelief and surprise in his tone.

"Many of them, yes, but most we only skimmed through to make sure we didn't miss some information in case we had to look it up properly," Harry explained, smiling at him before he pulled his trunk down the small stairs with _a rat-tat-tat-thump_ and onto the platform.

"How are you getting home?" Hermione asked. She followed Harry down on the platform and paused to wait for Ron and Neville. Neville was searching his pockets frantically.

"I can't find Trevor!" he exclaimed, interrupting Hermione. He looked around desperately.

"Do you think you left him at Hogwarts?" Harry asked calmly.

"M-Maybe, I don't remember!" Neville looked around nervously for his grandmother, "Gran is going to kill me!"

"I'm sure she won't," Ginny assured him, "perhaps you could send a letter to Professor McGonagall?"

"Yeah… I could try," Neville said depressedly and hung his head.

"Do that," she touched his shoulder comfortingly and then turned to Harry as he answered Hermione's question.

"We are apparating, of course. No-one else should be able to pass the wards at the moment – except for Triomphe, that is, but he's probably been at home for a while now," Harry said.

"What happens if someone tries to pass?" Neville asked, flinching slightly.

"If uninvited, you'd be better off dead. That is, if you can get close enough to the wards, which is nearly impossible," Harry explained, "but you are invited, Neville, so you shouldn't worry."

Neville smiled weakly and followed the others over to the plump, redheaded witch standing beside a bespectacled man with equally red hair, which was thinning. Mrs. Weasley beamed when she spotted their little group, and weaved through the crowd separating them before pulling Ginny into a fierce hug.

"Welcome home, my dear!" she chirped and then went on to Ron, who flushed, but didn't fight her, "have you had good year? I have barely heard from you, Ronald! At least your sisted and your brother-in-law have sense enough to write to us!" She then went on to Percy, Fred and George, hugging them in turn. "Harry and Ginny, you must come over for dinner on Sunday," she declared, "perhaps Hermione would like to come too?" She looked at Hermione with her brown eyes shining.

"Oh," Hermione began, looking surprised. A happy smile graced her lips. "I'd like that, thank you."

"Mum, perhaps Hermione can stay with us later in summer?" Ron wondered.

"Of course she can!" Mrs. Weasley said and hugged Hermione too. "And Harry and Ginny should come for a stay too. Arthur is going to try to get tickets for the World Cup for you all."

"I'm sure Sirius will be trying his very best too, but thanks for the invitation, Mum. I'm sure we can stay a week or two, just not immediately. We have to do some things at home first."

Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded. "We can't wait to see you again, dear!" she said.

Harry and Ginny said goodbye to the Weasleys, Hermione, who then found her parents and presented them for the Weasleys. Mr. Weasley immediately bombed them with countless questions about the muggle world, and Harry shook his head in amusement before he waved goodbye to Neville, who went to look for his grandmother. Then the two of them apparated off, straight to the entrance hall to Potter Palace.

Down in Devon the sun was shining brightly, so the palace was stifflingly hot. They immediately began opening the doors to let in some fresh air after months of being locked down, and then unpacked their trunks. Harry emptied his trunk completely, throwing away old, broken quills, unpaired socks and dried out newt's eyes and pieces of dried nettle that made up the debris at the bottom.

Afterwards the two of them cooperated on making dinner. They were slightly out of practice, but the Cornish pasties turned out alright. A roar of flames from the fireplace in the drawing room reached them, and then steps were heard in the room above.

"Harry! Ginny!" Sirius' arrival was as usual very audible, and the loud thumps of the stairs did not leave out any question about who was approaching.

"In the kitchen!" Harry shouted and concentrated before doing the washing-up charm non-verbally. Ginny was busily making Devon tea scones, and peered up as Harry's boisterous godfather entered the kitchen with a large grin.

"I'm home!" he declared happily.

Harry chuckled. "How are you, Sirius?"

"I am perfect! Well, at least now I am! Now I can stay with you guys every day instead of being holed up at Grimmauld Place. Kreacher's been doing great cleaning it, but the dark magic resides in the very walls. And that is all the memories excluded." Sirius shuddered and dumped down in a chair.

"Have you heard anything from Lupin?" Harry asked.

"Err, not in a while. I told him to come to Grimmauld Place if he wanted to," Sirius said.

"We wrote to him and offered to let him move in here now that he's resigned and all," Harry said.

Sirius looked a little disappointed. "Oh. Well, I had hoped he would move in with me; we have a lot of catching up to do still. But that lucky bastard wouldn't say no to live here, or he'd be a fool. The only hindrance may be his hesitance to accept hospitality."

"Let Ginny work her magic, and you'll see him giving in in no time," Harry grinned, and Ginny turned and stuck out her tongue to him.

 _What d'you think, Gin?_ He asked her quietly.

She didn't need an explanation to know what he was referring to. _Well, he's become more mature than he was when I had the talk with him. He's really been trying._ She hesitated, and looked at Sirius, who watched them curiously, obviously knowing that they were having a private chat.

"Talking about me?" he asked, raising a brow at her.

"How would you like to come and live here?" Harry asked.

Sirius' brows shot up in surprise, and his eyes found Ginny's before narrowing in suspicion. "What's the hitch?"

"That you still remember our talk," she said emotionlessly, and stared at him challengingly.

"Can't forget that one, can I?" Sirius said with a grin, "I'll accept that offer with a great thank you. Anything to get out of that place."

Harry, Ginny and Sirius spent the rest of the day outside in the evening sun, their discussion mainly about the potential locations of Riddle's last Horcrux.

"Hermione has been suggesting Godric's Hollow several times, but I don't think it is there. He has no connection to the place except for it being where he was destroyed," Harry said, "and I don't think he would have chosen to place it on or near the orphanage he grew up in."

"No, not if he disliked it as much as you hated Privet Drive," Sirius mused. "Do you think there might be something in Albania?"

Harry paused to think. "Maybe. But we have nothing more to go on than that. Albania is very indefinite. We'll have to do some digging in the case."

"Is it possible that he keeps it with him?" Ginny wondered, sipping her tea carefully while she leaned against Harry's side.

He wound his arm around her neck and caressed her shoulder with his hand. "It is. Only that I'm not sure how physical he is right now. If he's just a spirit, he won't be able to keep something solid on him."

"But we'd be enormously foolish if we try to search for him now. I bet you anything that Pettigrew is searching all that he can. I keep having nightmares about everything that he might have heard you guys talking about," Sirius admitted ruefully. He glanced over at Triomphe, who had arrived before Harry and Ginny, and was now grazing in the edge of the forest before he rubbed his face and snatched one of the scones that Ginny had made.

"He's been hiding in the Gryffindor Tower for a long time. I just can't believe I didn't notice him. Crookshanks knew all along," Harry said.

"Why do you think Pettigrew hadn't tried to kill you before this year?" Ginny wondered, tilting her head backwards to peer at Harry, who pressed his lips to her forehead.

"He had no reason to, I guess. And when Sirius escaped, he probably figured that he had to act soon, or to be discovered," Harry mused.

Ginny sighed and let her hands rest on his arm, closing her eyes. "I'm glad he didn't. Can't live without you."

"The feeling is mutual," Harry replied, and looked up sharply when he heard a chuckle from Sirius.

"Are you sure you're not an item? You look like you are in love with her, you know," Sirius said.

"The bond didn't automatically make us fall in love with each other," Ginny said without opening his eyes, "I've been having something going on for a long while – from that silly crush on the Boy-Who-Lived to really being in love with Harry. And he's starting to come along, luckily. But he's a boy. They need more time to realize that girls don't have cooties."

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed and poked his fingers into her ribs, causing her to flinch, "I never thought you had cooties!"

"You did before we bonded," she replied, staring back at him challengingly.

"I did not!" Harry replied indignantly.

Ginny merely grinned at him and scooted down to relax in his lap.

Sirius grinned miscievously. "If you hadn't been married already, I'd have loved to tease you about future marriage."

"Pity. Now we can tease you about it once you find a certain someone," Harry grinned.

"Well, if I'm living here, I can't very well bring a woman here, can I?"

Harry was about to answer when he spotted Hedwig soaring down towards them in the twilight, a letter firmly held in her beak. She landed on the back of the garden sofa that Harry and Ginny were sitting in, and held out the letter for him, ruffling her feathers importantly.

"Have you found Professor Lupin already, Hedwig?" Harry asked, mildly surprised.

Hedwig gave him an indignant hoot to answer his doubt concerning her abilities. She stayed perched on the back of the sofa as Harry opened the letter.

 _Dear Harry and Ginny,_

 _It is very kind to offer, and while I am reluctant to intrude, I am currently homeless, as you know, so I will gratefully accept your offer, at least temporarily. I am still at Hogwarts, and the Headmaster has kindly let me stay here until I find myself a place to stay. Will you send the location of your home with Hedwig, or is there a meeting point somewhere?_

 _Remus._


	21. Welcome Home

"Oh! He said yes!" Ginny exclaimed and burst up into an upright position.

"Yeah. Great! Now, no offense to Hedwig, but I think it might be fastest to send him a Patronus," Harry said.

Sirius' eyes widened dramatically. "You know how to do that?" he gaped, "that was exclusive knowledge to a group of light-side supporters close to Dumbledore."

"Harry saw Dumbledore do it after he fell off his broom in the match against Hufflepuff," Ginny explained, and smiled deviously. She had been asleep when it had happened, but had seen it in Harry's mind afterwards. "He did cheat a bit, though."

"I am not going to feel bad and guilty about it," Harry declared hotly. "If he won't share knowledge with me voluntarily, when he expects me to kill Voldemort on my own, there is no reason to feel bad about taking that information."

Sirius nodded in agreement, and watched Harry as he pulled out his wand and uttered the incantation.

"Expecto Patronum!" The eagle burst out of the tip of his wand and disappeared into the horizon.

"What did you tell him?" Sirius asked, kicking his shoes off so they tumbled off the flagstone patch and onto the grass, which was very high. Harry made himself a mental note to mow it tomorrow.

"To meet me in Inxbury in half an hour. By the old abbey," Harry said. He grabbed a scone and broke off a piece that he handed to Ginny.

"Oh, are you flying?" Sirius asked with interest.

Harry nodded.

"You should go pack your things at Grimmauld Place, Sirius," Ginny said, taking a bite of the scone. She glanced at him over the table, and he nodded, stood and vanished within a few seconds.

Harry and Ginny went inside to ready the beds in the Palace. While they fully expected Sirius and Lupin to choose their own rooms, it was no doubt that Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Neville, and perhaps Percy would spend at least a few nights at the Palace, and maybe Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would join them later in the summer.

A few spells they had learned in a book in the library the summer before came into handy, so they managed to get most of the countless rooms ready before Harry had to leave to get Professor Lupin.

Inxbury was only a short flight away, and the abbey towered over the rest of the village houses. A few people wandering down the streets, but this being so late in the day, most were inside, or enjoying the warm evening in their gardens.

Harry circled the abbey a few times, looking for Lupin, before he perched himself on the roof, where he had a great view. The grass-covered area surrounding the tall, stone-built abbey was empty. From what Harry could see, he was the only one here at the moment. The sun was setting in the west, bathing the white stones of the abbey in a golden orange light. A figure approaching from the village centre was unrecognizable with the light in his back, and shadow hiding his face and front. He dragged a large trunk behind him, and wore a travelling cloak from what Harry could see.

However, being a eagle had its benefits. Plus, his magical core left Harry without a doubt. He let himself drop from the roof, unfolding his wings to glide down towards he man and transformed even before he landed.

Lupin's amber eyes met Harry's, and they sparkled when he smiled. Harry felt himself being pulled into a hug, and returned it with surprise.

"Thank you, Harry," Lupin said as he pulled back, his hands resting on Harry's shoulders, "It is really kind of you to open your home to me."

"It's no problem, Professor. We have way too many rooms already," Harry said honestly.

"You don't have to call me 'professor' anymore, Harry, because I'm not. Remus would suffice," Lupin smiled kindly.

Harry nodded. They walked together in the direction of Potter Palace, down the dirt road leading from the village. It was framed by wild-growing hedges, behind which cattle and sheep were grazing on the lush early summer pastures.

"I don't think you have told me why you and Ginny live at Potter Palace," Lupin said, peering at Harry. "I know you are married, but that is a little suspicious, considering your age, isn't it? I don't mean to pry, and you don't have to answer if you don't want me to know," Lupin hurriedly assured him.

"Oh! Right!" Harry said, and told him everything about the soulbond. Then he did a silencing charm that formed a bubble around them as they walked, and explained everything about the Horcruxes and how he and Ginny had used their love to fight the Horcrux in Harry. The explanation lasted until they reached the outer wards of the estate. Harry told Remus the address of the Palace, so he could pass inside the Posterus Charm.

Remus passed through unharmed, naturally, and let his gaze drift around with a wistful look. "I have so many good memories from here," he said softly. His gaze found Harry and Ginny's herb garden, and a smile decorated his face. "I believe you two have a friend who would love to have a closer look at that," he said, pointing.

"Oh! Yeah. He's coming over tomorrow. Ginny thinks he'd be happy to help fixing it up a little. It hasn't been touched since last summer, so as you can see, it's partly overgrown by weeds," Harry said with a sheepish grin. "Just like the rest of the garden."

Remus chuckled. "I'll lend my help wherever I can, I assure you, but Herbology was never my best subject."

"That's alright," Harry assured him. They followed the gravelled path up to the circular flower bed in front of the large entrance doors, which were still standing wide open. Several windows were open as well, curtains waving in the light breeze.

They climbed the stairs up to the entrance and into the hallway, where they found Ginny placing her and Harry's shoes on the shoe rack in the wardrobe through a side door in the entrance hall. She straightened and beamed at Remus when he caught her eye.

"Welcome home," she said.

"Thank you! I have to admit that it's strange to call this a home; I've always been baffled by the size of it," Remus admitted.

"You get used to it rather quickly," Ginny assured him and moved over to give Harry a peck on the lips before heading over to the stairs. "We have readied most of the bedrooms, so you could choose whatever room you want. I suppose you don't need any tour, if you've been here before?"

"You didn't have to make all the beds! I'm not that picky," he said, looking slightly horrified.

"It doesn't matter. My brothers will most likely sleep here sometime soon," Ginny explained, leading Remus upstairs. Harry followed behind them.

"Yeah, and Hermione and Neville too. They are coming over tomorrow already. And Sirius is staying here too."

Remus looked at Harry with surprise, "you invited him to live here too?"

"Yes. He hates Grimmauld Place like the devil," Harry said, taking the last couple of steps in one leap. The old, faded portraits of people Harry had no idea who were had been replaced with photos of forests, creeks, snow-capped mountains and animals last summer. Like Ginny had said, it was not Hogwarts, and she wasn't particularly fond of portraits anyway. "Annoyingly talkative and bothersome, prying into our lives," she had said. That had been the last drop in the goblet to make them replace most of the old portraits around the Palace.

After a while Remus left his trunk in one of the large bedrooms in the east wing. Sirius returned fifteen minutes later and took the room opposite of Remus', who was very happy to have company of his best friend. They stayed up and talked long after Harry and Ginny went to bed, and were left with instructions to turn off the lights before they went to bed.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Having Sirius and Remus living at South Wilton Palace had both good and bad sides. Mostly good, though. Sirius, with his free spirit and humour livened up the place, and Remus helped them putting the last hundred shelves of books in order. With Neville coming over and lending a hand, Harry and Ginny had the garden in order within a few days. Remus and Sirius also helped, despite their admitted lack of talent in Herbology.

"You don't have to be an expert to work with plants," Neville said truthfully, "you can learn as you go. Besides, this part of the garden doesn't even have dangerous plants." He looked up at the Winter Willow, which was located near the forest, and far out of harm's reach. Remus was kneeling on the grass beside him, pulling out large tufts of weeds from the earth surrounding the hostas in the second largest flowerbed.

"Harry, about the pink fluffy ones; are they too going to have dragon dung fertilizer?" Sirius asked, pointing at the flowers covering a three feet large patch by the edge of the flowerbed. He was carrying a large basket of dragon dung fertilizer, and had his long, dark hair tied out ouf the way.

Harry paused in his pinching off the odd or dead twigs of the clematis growing on the southwestern wall of the Palace. "No, don't give that to them; they're non-magical. Use the one for non-magical plants," Harry instructed him, pointing at a bucket with a spade sticking up of it.

"On all the muggle plants?"

"Yes."

"They aren't muggle plants, Sirius," Ginny corrected while she busily planted six pots of daisies she and Harry had gotten from the garden nursery, "they are non-magical, but even more common than the magical ones, because they aren't as bothersome as many of them. Besides, I doubt you'd want to grow knotgrass in a large scale."

"At least _I_ wouldn't," Sirius muttered and reached for the non-magic fertilizer, "Don't know what Snivellus would have done, though."

"Oi!" Harry shouted indignantly, "I don't want to hear that word uttered in my house, is that clear?" He sent Sirius an annoyed glare, and Sirius paled ever so slightly at the sight before back to his work without a word.

"Did you hear me, Sirius?" Harry demanded hotly, dropping his pruning knife to the ground.

He knew of the less than friendly relationship between Snape and Sirius, but he also knew that Snape was a man who tried to make up for his errors, and was a different person behind his mask. Of course, he couldn't tell Sirius that; not only would it be betrayal of trust, but also, Sirius, as the slightly childish man he was, would torment Snape about it for all it was worth. No matter his bullying his students, Harry didn't think he deserved that. Besides, Snape wasn't as bad as he once was anymore.

"Yes, I did!" Sirius shouted in a sudden outburst, attempting to hide his uncertainty, Ginny concluded.

"Good." Harry picked up the knife again and went on pruning.

Percy, Ron, Fred and George came to spend the night later in the evening, and Hermione joined their company after her holiday with her parents. Neville needed the whole weekend to convince his grandmother, but eventually persuaded her in letting him stay at Potter Palace for at least a couple of weeks. Harry taught him how to become an Animagus once he had read through the book about the transformation and within short time he took the form of a wolverine, and nearly wandered off into the forest by himself, caught off-guard by his senses and instincts. It caused a great laughter when he had been shepherded back to the Palace afterwards.

The next couple of weeks were filled with laughter and joy in playing as animagi, Quidditch or whatever else they came up with. In between that, the garden was put back into spotless order, and the Palace was mended on the few places roof shingles had fallen off or the crumbling masonry both inside and out. Such repairs required a lot of digging in the library again, and for once Harry and Ginny resorted to go to Flourish and Blotts in attempt to find a book concerning masonry magic and building. Remus and Sirius naturally helped in the work. Neville kindly offered his help as well, while Hermione's main motivation was learning new spells. Being in an all-magical environment, and living with two adult wizards, removed the risk of being caught by using underage magic, since it did not trace the magic an underage wizard did, but rather magic in his vicinity, so Hermione revelled in the opportunity to learn and practice new magic, and Ron and the twins were glad not having to do things manually, which they had to at the Burrow.

Remus' compromise for not telling Mrs. Weasley was that there was no hexing, jinxing, cursing or any potentially harful use of magic, that they had to learn the theory as well, and that they had to help Harry and Ginny with their house as a thank you for their hospitality. Harry and Ginny tried to change his mind, claiming that they didn't need payback for hospitality, but Remus didn't listen.

Percy had gotten himself a job as the Junior Assistant of the Minister of Magic, which had been highly discussed by the Weasleys and the Potters.

"Fudge knows that you're friends with me, Perce," Harry said, "and I wouldn't put it past him to offer you the position in the hopes of spying on me. He's got to be dying to know how I knew about his crimes. Plus, the Weasleys are well-known supporters of Dumbledore. Or, were."

Percy stared unseeingly at Ginny in her cat form, who was chasing a toy mouse that Fred and George had charmed. "Oh, don't flatter yourself, Percy," he muttered quietly to himself before looking at Harry. "You're right. Fudge wouldn't have created a position for a Head Boy with perfect scores on his N.E. . No-one else have been given that opportunity."

"Nevertheless, it'd be silly if you hadn't taken the job," Harry replied matter-of-factly.

"Yes, wouldn't it? At least now I can get information from the Minister's office no less. Might be useful in the future," Percy agreed.

Remus, who was dozing in the chair beside Harry, had yet to find himself a job, but Harry assured him that he didn't have to stress about it. South Wilton Palace was his home now, and Ginny and Harry didn't want him to feel that he had to leave as soon as he got a job. He was not a guest, and they had no problem supporting him economically. Neither did Sirius, of course.

On the day of the first full moon of the holidays Harry and Ginny were up early as usual. The sun had just peered over the treetops of the forest, reflecting its orange light in the lake where a pair of swans were swimming about with their young.

Ginny yawned and stretched before turning to look at Harry, who was already on his way out of the bed. He smiled at her and pulled his clothes before heading over to the bathroom through a door leading from their room.

She sat up and kicked off the covers. It had been a cool night, and she had taken advantage of his company in bed. Harry was always much warmer than her, and when she was cold, he was good to snuggle against. The window was still open, the curtains moving gently in the light breeze which brought in the scent of morning. The cries of the swans were chorused by the chirps from the birds in the bushes and trees in the garden. In the background there was the gentle gurgling of the stream running into the lake.

Climbing out of bed she pulled off her pyjamas and went to search for something to wear in the wardrobe. She had convinced Harry to go shopping with her a week ago, and revelled in not having to wear hand-me-downs, old and patched clothes. Using a minute or two on deciding, she pulled out a yellow summer dress and wandered naked into the bathroom, where Harry was brushing his teeth.

He only spared her a short glance before spitting and rinsing his mouth. "Are we taking a shower now?" he asked.

"Yeah. I don't bother getting dressed only to undress after breakfast," she said and grabbed her toothbrush while Harry undressed.

Showering together had began rather unexpectedly last summer at the Burrow, when they had mindlessly gone to the bathroom together, discussing Dumbledore, and then found themselves in the shower together before they realized what had happened. Ginny knew she'd be horribly embarrassed if even her dad saw her naked, and Harry was reluctant to even take his shirt off in the presence of anyone other than Ginny, even on a hot summer day. But being naked in the presence of each other felt as natural as sleeping in the same bed. They just had to be a little careful not to let Mr. and Mrs. Weasley learn of it. Not even puberty and body change stopped them.

With the enchanted shower that was in most magical households, hot water came instantly. Ginny jumped in surprise, and hurriedly turned down the temperature a little as Harry entered behind her.

"The quarter finals are starting today, aren't they?" Harry asked, reaching for Ginny's shampoo as she soaked herself under the stream of water.

"Mhm," she replied, "Spain against Australia."

"That's a victory for Australia, no doubt," Harry said, pouring some shampoo into his hands before massaging it into her hair, "Spain won't stand a chance against their defence."

"But Spain's beaters have a deadly punch. I heard somewhere that they knocked out one of the Chinese chasers so he stayed in coma for a year, and that is saying something in the Wizarding World, Harry. They weren't even sure he would survive," Ginny said, closing her eyes as Harry's hands massaged her scalp expertly.

"Yes, but that doesn't matter if the aim is bad," Harry replied. "Weren't you considering Quidditch after Hogwarts?"

"I don't know yet. I have to make the team first. It does sound fun, though. Perhaps you could convince the new captain in making a reserve team?" Ginny suggested.

"That'd be great! Having a backup is good in case next term is anything like last year," Harry said, giving Ginny a hug from behind before letting the water rinse the soap from his hands. He then grabbed his own shampoo while Ginny used the soap to clean herself. She had given up shampooing Harry's hair; he had grown so fast during the last year that he was so tall it was uncomfortable to do so unless he sat down. And while the shower was rather large, he had no desire to sit on the floor.

"You've got hair in your armpits, Harry," Ginny observed with an amused smile.

Harry stared at her with mock surprise. "That's what you notice first? What about my muscles?" He flexed his arms, causing her to throw her head backwards in a heartfelt laughter that had butterflies flutter in Harry's stomach.

"Of course! How could I miss those _impressive_ muscles you've grown?" she joked, "me growing breasts is _nothing_ in comparison!" She stuck her toungue at him, which he caught between his lips when he bent to kiss her.

"Mh!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. She pulled apart and stared up at him. "You're poking me again! Think of Dumbledore in bikini!" she declared, "no, rather Dudley in a tutu!"

Harry made a face. "Ugh! I'll never get that image out of my head!" he exclaimed, hiding his face against her shoulder, but luckily felt his body relax a bit.

"I'll take it as a compliment, then," Ginny said brightly.

"You do that," Harry said, his voice slightly muffled.

He pulled back after some seconds and grabbed the soap that she offered him, being finished with it. "I really hope Sirius or Mr. Weasley can get some tickets. Of course, we'll pay for them ourselves – "

"Dad won't accept it. You know that, Harry," Ginny said seriously, rubbing conditioner into her hair while peering at him sideways.

"Yes. Unfortunately."

"Well, at least he doesn't have to pay for clothes, food and education for me," Ginny admitted. Her slippery hands lost the grip on the bottle of conditioner, causing it to land with a _clonk_ on the floor. "Damn. I hope it didn't break. I don't fancy conditioner all over the floor," she muttered and bent to pick it up.

"You say that as if it is a burden to pay for you," Harry said, raising a brow at her, although he knew that was not what she meant. She didn't need to explain when he had seen what she meant in her mind already.

"I didn't mean it like that, but now mum and dad less people that they have to spend their scarce amount of money on; the twins, Ron and themselves," Ginny clarified.

Harry just smiled at her. "I know."

Her face cracked into a loving smile. "Of course you do," she said softly and started to rinse her hair again, poking it under the stream beside Harry, who after ensuring all the soap was gone, stepped out of the shower, sending a waft of cool air into it. Ginny shivered a little and stepped under the water to keep warm until she was done.

After drying himself, Harry wandered back into their bedroom and pulled out clothes for the day. He dressed quickly and headed down to the kitchen on ground floor. Its dark brown gold-framed surfaces stood in stark contrast to the white walls. The two metres wide stove was placed beneath a ventilator and a row of brass cookware that decorated the wall, naturally enchanted to protect the food from any copper transferred to it, as it was toxic in large amounts. Beneath it was a four-doored oven, sort of like a muggle AGA cooker, with different temperatures. In the other corner was a large fireplace, which Harry knew had once been connected to the Floo network, but wasn't at the moment. The whole kitchen rung of an antique, classic style, fitting for a once upon a time royal palace.

Harry found some eggs, bacon, sausages and toast to prepare for Percy, who was leaving for work in half an hour. However, before even Ginny could get down, Sirius came stumbling down the stairs, and Harry quickly waved his hand to start the coffeemaker, knowing very well Sirius' need for coffee to get up and going in the morning.

"Good morning," he said brightly, watching as Sirius shuffled over to the counter to find a cup.

"Morning," Sirius said gruffly, rubbing his face, looking like he was still asleep.

"What's got you up this early?"

"Uh… I'm s'pposed to get the tickets today… to the World Cup. And I had to be early, or they'd be out," Sirius mumbled groggily.

"Oh! Great!" Harry said, flinging a few more slices of bacon into the pan and then cracking two more eggs into the other one. After stuffing two new slices of bread into the toaster, he disappeared into the pantry to find jam.

"Ginny up yet?" Sirius asked, dumping down on a chair by the long, sturdy kitchen table while waiting for the coffeemaker to finish.

"She'll be down in a minute," Harry told him and placed the jam on the table. "No fingers in," he warned Sirius, who had eyed it hopefully, and sagged in defeat.

He might have been trying to act more maturely, but the fact that Sirius had spent twelve years in Azkaban still explained why he was still acting like the teenager he was when he was imprisoned rather than the thirty-something man that he really was. Ginny often pointed out that between Harry and Sirius, Harry usually was the more responsible and mature one.

Harry pulled out a plate and filled it with some toast, sausages, eggs and bacon before placing it in front of Sirius, who ate with big appetite.

Footsteps sounded in the stairs, and Sirius turned to see Ginny enter the room, smiling. "Good morning, Sirius. For once earlier than Remus, I see?"

Sirius grumbled quietly and held out his cup when she brought over the coffee pot.

"I assume you don't want milk in it?" she asked.

Sirius merely shook his head and returned to his food.

"We should finish the wall on the northern end today," Ginny said to Harry, who nodded.

"Just have to find that spell to replace the cracked windows," Harry replied. That was the only problem besides the crumbling masonry on that part of the castle, but the masonry was easy to fix once you knew how.

"It's the last wall, isn't it?" Sirius asked, peering at them as he sipped his hot coffee.

"Yes."

A familiar tapping had all three look towards one of the windows. Ron's owl Joey sat on the perch outside, a letter tied to his leg. Ginny quickly moved over and let him in. He fluttered over to the back of a chair and held out his leg for her so she could untie the letter.

"Oh! It's from mum!" She said, recognizing the handwriting.

Ginny quickly skimmed through the letter, noting that Bill and Charlie had come to visit. Charlie was the only one of the Weasleys that Harry hadn't met yet, and to be honest, he was a little apprehensive. He was a dragon handler, after all.

"Yes, but you beat Dumbledore into a piece of dirt. And Charlie knows you did," she replied, picking up his trail of thoughts.

Sirius watched her curiously, wondering what in the world she was talking about. But he was slowly getting used to Harry and Ginny's internal communication, so it didn't bother him as much anymore. He settled himself with the fact that he would probably be informed if it was meant as information for him as well.

 _I really don't want her to make such a fuss around my birthday,_ Harry said, _or maybe we could do a joint birthday celebration?_

 _I'd like that,_ Ginny agreed.

Percy came bumbling into the kitchen a few minutes later, looking slightly more awake than Sirius. "Morning," he said, "has the _Daily Prophet_ arrived yet?"

"No; I expect it will any minute," Harry said. "Why? Are you expecting something?"

"Not really. I'm just wondering if some nosy busy-body has gotten their ears on what's happening at Hogwarts this year," Percy said, accepting the plate of food from Ginny with gratitude.

"Oh? What's that, then?" Harry asked, his interest peaking.

"I'm not allowed to tell. You'll know at the opening feast," Percy assured him.

Ginny made a face. "Stupid. Harry, read his mind!"

"No, I won't," Harry said, chuckling at her indignation, "I won't intrude his privacy for something like this. However, if I had suspicions that he was in league with Voldemort, I probably wouldn't care."

"Well, I'm not," Percy said, adding a spot of milk in his coffee.

"We know," Ginny assured him just as Remus entered the kitchen. He looked significantly more awake than Sirius, and even Percy.

"Good morning, all," he said brightly.

"Good morning, Remus," Ginny smiled. "Coffee?"

"Oh, yes please!" His eyes followed her as she filled a cup for him.

"You and I are going shopping today, Remus," she declared.

His brows rose towards his hairline and his eyes widened in surprise. "What? Shopping?" Then he sagged in relief, "Oh, you mean potion ingredients, right?"

"Not at all. You can't very well run around in clothes that look more like quilts than robes," she said, "and I do not want to hear a single word about paying back, do you hear?" She found her Mrs. Weasley-immitation, which immediately, had him back down in the chair beside Sirius with a defeated look.

Sirius barked in laughter and clapped his back. "I should've done it a long time ago, mate," he said with a large grin.

Remus glared back venomously before slumping against the table with a sigh. "Is there no way to convince you otherwise?" He asked, peering at Ginny, who shook her head.

"You might be a werewolf, and it might be hard for you to get a job because of it, Remus, but as long as you live with us, you shouldn't have any concerns about money. We don't have," she assured him. Not that it helped by much.

"I'll finish the wall, then. Or do you want me to join?" Harry asked, throwing more sausages into the frying pan.

"I think with Remus with me, I should be safe. I could just apparate back home, you know."

"Not unless someone manages to knock you out first," Harry replied, raising a brow at her.

She huffed in annoyace. "Well, then, please don't have any faith in me, little Ginny, who can't protect herself!"

"Alright then!" Harry retorted hotly, "I only asked if you wanted me to come; no more to it!"

Quickly frying up a new batch of food, he served breakfast for Remus, and then to himself and Ginny just as Sirius and Percy left. Remus and Ginny left soon after finishing breakfast, and Harry went outside to get the wall done while the others slept.

Sirius returned right before noon, finding Harry doing homework with, Hermione, Neville, Ron and the twins. He looked very displeased.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, "didn't you get the tickets?"

"Only two. They were all sold out. At least, there is something good; I met Arthur there; he'd arrived an hour before, and he'd gotten tickets for you all," Sirius said, and smiled in amusement as Fred, George and Ron leaped out of their chairs and started cheering happily, "I suppose I'll take Remus, then."

"You do that," Harry said, also smiling. He informed Ginny quickly, who enthusiastically told Remus.

As soon as they were done with homework, all of them went out to play Quidditch. Neville, who had been hesitant at best when he'd "moved in" at Potter Palace for the summer, was now flying as if he'd never done anything else. He usually took the Chaser's position along with Ginny, and the duo made hell for Ron on several occasions.

After playing for hours, Harry settled down to read with Hermione, who was content with watching them playing and with a book in her hands. Since Harry and Ginny already had skimmed through most of the library, they had taken to study a few of the books more closely. Or more in particular; the language books. It had been a rather nonchalant suggestion from Ron a couple of weeks ago, when he'd been reading up on the participants of the Quidditch World Cup.

"You've got a library that's larger than the one at Hogwarts, and you can't find anything to read?" he asked incredulously and peered down at the book he was reading; _Georg's Guide of Quidditch Teams: Bulgaria,_ "why don't you learn Bulgarian and help me understand all these quotes? The translator must've had no clue of Quidditch, so one can barely understand what it says. I'm starting to think that the translator didn't really know English either."

The language learning books were a little different from the ordinary books; they would read words for you and correct you if you pronounced wrong. Hermione was used to it, so she barely looked up when Harry and Ginny settled down to practice. After a while she put away her copy of _Black heart, white soul_ , and turned to listen to them.


	22. Birthday at the Burrow

Professor McGonagall had, to their surprise, sent an owl at the beginning of August, wondering whether or not the offer of a visit still stood. Harry and Ginny immediately answered positive, although they didn't quite understand why she chose to come at this point.

Harry went to meet her in Inxbury, and they walked back together. The visit wasn't particularly long; only long enough for her to be shown the garden, the Quidditch pitch, the Palace, and a nice cup of tea. She was impressed by the standard of the house and garden, and praised them for their tidiness and order. Ginny pointed out that they had mended parts of the Palace earlier in the summer.

"Will you care to show me? I think I must inspect this handiwork – I assume you did it with magic?" she asked.

Harry and Ginny showed her to the part of the castle where they had done most of the repairs, and under Professor McGonagall's inquiries explained how they were done.

"Were we at Hogwarts I would have granted you a certain amount of house point for this; it is very well done," she said, impressed, as her gaze studied the wall. She then turned at looked at them. "You use magic to keep the garden too, I suppose?"

"Yes, Professor. It's very time-saving. I'd bet Professor Sprout uses magic with her plants a lot too," Ginny said.

"Indeed, she does." A look of amusement crossed McGonagall's face. "She would have enjoyed this garden, I can tell you."

"She'd probably enjoy the herb garden the most," Harry said and pointed towards the general area where their magical plants grew. "Now that I think of it, Professor Snape would probably enjoy it just as much."

"Oh? What makes you think so? Do you have anything out of the ordinary?" Professor McGonagall asked witth interest, peering down at them.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look. "Well, some… perhaps you would have a look?"

"That would be nice," she said and followed them around the house. The herb garden was placed near the house, that was except for the Winter Willow and the other lethal plants, which were located at a safe distance.

Monksbane, dittany, asphodel, snargaluffs, shrivelfigs, sopophorous plants, and other less dangerous or harmless plants grew in clusters, separated by flat concrete stones following the curved edges of the flower beds.

"I see what you meant, Potter," Professor McGonagall said as she studied the heliopius growing with their roots poking straight up from the soil, and their foliage pointing downwards, "I did fairly well in Herbology while I was in Hogwarts myself, but I recognize only half of these. Professor Snape probably would, though."

Harry and Ginny celebrated their birthdays together on August 9th at the Burrow. Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Neville, who had stayed at South Wilton Palace until now, came along, and were met by a great feast that filled two tables out in the garden. Bill and another red-haired man that Harry recognized from the Astronomy Tower in his first year as Charlie, were carrying large dishes out under their mother's instruction.

"Oh, hello, dears!" she declared happily, and hugged them all in turn, "we are almost ready now!"

"Hello, Harry. Nice to see you again," Charlie said, eyeing Harry curiously.

"Likewise. How are the dragons?" Harry asked.

"Good. Not much happening outside of the usual, really. Although I hear that my sister have been quite busy?" Charlie asked, raising a brow.

Harry supressed the urge to shift uncomfortably, but couldn't stop a blush creeping into his cheeks.

"Well, yeah…"

A smile crossed Charlie's face, and he patted Harry on his shoulder. "Mum and dad told me everything. Thank you for saving her and looking after her."

Harry felt his body sagging in relief when he realized that he wasn't in trouble. "You – you're welcome," he said awkwardly.

"Although how happy I should be at the thought of my thirteen-year-old sister sleeping in the same bed as a boy one year her senior, is debatable," Charlie pointed out, looking at Harry challengingly, who scowled.

"Would you rather her not sleeping at all? Or her having nightmares every single night?" he retorted.

"No, you misunderstand me, Harry. It's just that as they grow up, guys get some urges that – " he was interrupted by Bill's snort, and turned to look at him. "And you're perfectly alright with it? I don't fancy becoming an uncle already, you know."

"You can't do anything about it. You can't drill abstinence into their heads. It'd sooner hurt them than do any good," Bill said firmly.

Charlie's ears turned red, and his face made a frown of annoyance. "Then what do you suggest? Them getting together that way at the age of thirteen and fourteen – "

"You just have to trust them, Charlie. They can hardly be considered children with what they've been through, and they are responsible. When their bond pushes them to go further, we cannot and should not intervene. Just trust them to be safe," Bill said, watching as Charlie sunk into a chair.

Ginny approached Harry from behind and hugged him, pressing her nose into his shirt as she inhaled his scent. "Charlie's got it the wrong way, hasn't he?" she muttered loudly enough for Bill and Charlie to "accidentally" overhear.

"'fraid so," Harry replied, turning to face her. Staring into her brown eyes made him giddy with joy and love. He felt like the happiest bloke on Earth. He had Ginny, and that was all that he needed. He kissed her, trying to express all the love that he felt for her with that single kiss.

"One would think that you did enough of that at your place," Bill stated dryly once Harry and Ginny parted.

"Well, you obviously haven't been in love," Ginny said harshly, "or you'd know we would want it all the time."

Charlie made a face of discomfort and left to sit beside Percy instead.

Ginny laughed and sat near the end of the table. Harry took the chair between her and Ron, who leaned over.

"Dad says we'll take a portkey to the World Cup. I bet you two could probably just apparate to one of those safe points that dad talked about. And that we have to wear muggle clothes. That's bound to be entertaining! I really can't picture Bagman or Crouch wearing jeans and shirts," he snickered.

"Bagman's in the Department of Magical Games and Sports, right?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded enthusiastically, "old Chaser for the Wimbourne Wasps," he said, helping himself with chicken pie.

Harry nodded and handed Ginny the jug of pumpkin juice. She filled her glass and downed it thirstily before refilling it and handing it back to him. Then she fell into a conversation with Bill about his job.

"What? Are you considering becoming a curse-breaker, Ginny?" he asked.

"Not at all!" she replied, "Harry and I are going to become team mates on the Quidditch National Team!" she added humourously, beaming.

Bill chuckled. "Chaser?"

Ginny nodded. "Harry's been helping me and Ron practicing. Ron might already make the team as Keeper now that Wood has left, and I want to try out when Angelina and Alicia graduate. Or if the new captain starts a reserve team."

Bill watched her thoughtfully. Ginny instantly knew that he was keeping a secret, and was sorely tempted to ask, but decided not to. Harry listened peacefully to Ron discussing the World Cup with Fred, George and Charlie, while Percy informed his parents about his new job.

"If for nothing else, I decided to accept it because of all the information I get access to, and to the future possibilities – or even the present ones," he said importantly.

"What is it that you do, then Percy?" Mrs. Weasley asked curiously, dumping more gratined potatoes on his plate.

"Writing letters and whatever else the Minister doesn't bother doing himself," Percy said darkly. Hearing of the Ministry's corruption, the Minister crimes and Dumbledore's attacks on Ginny had really opened his eyes to see that authorities might not be everything that they appear to be.

"That sounds boring," George put in from the sideline.

"It could've been more interesting, sure," Percy said, nodding in agreement for once.

Afterwards Harry and Ginny were presented with two heaps of gifts. Even Hagrid had contributed with a joint gift for them: a fireproof horse halter with a name tag for Triomphe. Actually, most of them were joint gifts. Neville had given them a box of Nightblush seeds, which was perfect, because Harry and Ginny's previous ones had died. They also got a neatly wrapped complete set of the _Magical Encyclopedia for Linguists_ , for learning magical languages such as Mermish and Gobbledegook from Hermione, _A Guide to the 1994 Quidditch World Cup_ by Ron, _One Hundred Useful Uses of Your Animagus_ from Fred and George, and a large frame of the whole Weasley family including Harry from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh wow! This is brilliant!" Harry exclaimed as he admired the framed photo. He beamed at Ginny, who was leaning over to look, "This'll do great over the mantlepiece, don't you agree?"

She nodded in agreement and thrust a small package into his hands. He gently placed the photograph on the floor by the chair they were sharing and unwrapped her present under the eyes of all of the Weasleys. Inside it was a box, which he opened, revealing a brand new wristwatch.

"It's waterproof. In case you decide to join Hermione swimming in the pond," she joked, causing Harry to chuckle. "I thought it was good while working in the garden."

He beamed at her and gave her a light kiss. "It's great! Thanks," he said and then handed her the present from himself.

Throwing him a curious look, she opened it quickly and pulled out a diary as the paper fell from her lap and down on the grass.

"I noticed the one from last year is nearly full. Look inside it," he said, gesturing towards the ocean blue book.

She opened it and flicked through some of the pages until she found a subscription to the magazine _Your Enchanted Garden,_ which Ginny had talked about wanting for a while. With her history with Voldemort, the bond and her new way of living away from her parents had matured her past the interest of the usual magazines aimed towards teenage girls, like _Vague Witches_. They usually didn't contain anything useful anyway. And Harry hadn't bothered choosing a Quidditch related magazine, because they were already receiving two of those. _The Practical Potioneer_ was also a magazine that could be found around in their house.

"That's really useful, Harry! Thanks!"

Bill had gotten them a book on really rare and advanced wards, and Charlie's gift to Harry was a new pair of dragon hide gloves, and a brand new set of potions bottles and vials for Ginny, obviously having heard of Harry and Ginny's newfound talent in potioneering. Sirius and Remus had to Harry and Ginny's great astonishment gotten seeds from a Princess Idylla plant.

"We've been searching everywhere for that! We even visited Knockturn Alley for it!" Ginny declared, amazed. "How did you find them?"

Sirius grinned smugly. "I went to Peru while you were at school. They originate from the South American rainforest, you see."

"What's a Princess Idylla?" Neville asked curiously.

Holding up his hand Harry conjured a virtual image of a long-stemmed plant with an overly large pale pink flower on top. It was tightly grown with leaves and had a large, bulbous root beneath the ground.

"They're more dangerous than a Venomous Tentacula if you don't know how to handle it – it looks fairly harmless above the ground, but that root contains some really dangerous venom. Also, they grow long roots with thorns in addition, which is designed to prick your foot or paw, and make you spill blood. The problem is, once stung, you're likely to die rather quickly because of the venom," Harry explained.

"Why in the world would you buy such a monstrous plant?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed horrified, looking from Sirius to Remus with worry and disappointment, "are you trying to have my daughter and my son-in-law killed?"

"Not at all, Molly," Remus assured her, "Harry and Ginny can tackle a Princess Idylla easily if they have no problem with a Winter Willow. They know what they are doing."

Mrs. Weasley still didn't look content with his explanation, and muttered angrily under her breath before starting to collect the plates used for the birthday cake.

"Why in the world would you want such a dangerous plant for, Harry?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"The essence of their petals is perfect for antidotes to mind-altering potions and truth serums," Harry explained, "plus, we want to experiment a little with it."

Mrs. Weasley insisted that everyone stayed at the Burrow for the night, and then the whole Weasley family moved to Potter Palace the next day.

The kids left early in the morning, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie arrived later in the day.

Charlie stumbled out of the fireplace first, shocked by the wards that he had slipped through when he was accepted in, and so losing his concentration for a moment. He then paused in the grand, rich maroon drawing room with the occasional stripes of gold-patterned wallpaper, displaying fleur-de-lis. Large muntined windows gave a large view over the neat garden which was blooming in all sorts of colours.

A large chandelier, which was turned off at the moment, was as large as a ten-year-old child, made out of what appeared to be pure crystals and gold. Plush armchairs in garnet red and surprisingly light woodwork were placed on a fluffy rug along with a polished table in the same colour. The large mantlepiece was carved out of a light stone and decorated with dark marble. The fireplace flared in green, and Bill exited, looking around with large eyes. Mr. Weasley arrived soon after, and chuckled at their awed expressions.

"It's rather impressive, isn't it?" he said, waving his wand to remove soot from his robes, and the bag that he had his things in.

"I can hardly believe that Ginny lives here! How do they keep it clean?" Charlie wondered, watching his mother step out of the fireplace.

"They've found some spells that keep away most of the dust, and most of the dirt. What's left… Ginny is remarkable at household charms, and Harry could manipulate his magic to do whatever he wants it to do," Mr. Weasley said. He dropped his bag by the corner and headed out through the large wooden door to the left. It lead to a large hall with a path suspended along the wall of an atrium with a grand staircase with a rich, red carpet leading down to first floor. A chandelier was suspended above the staircase, but the most impressive feature in the room was the walls, which were covered with an enchanted picture of a lake with a forest where a stag with a doe were drinking, pausing every so often to look out for dangers.

"That wasn't there last summer," Bill pointed out, studying the colourful details on the large artwork that covered every corner of the room and even reached so high to let the ceiling display the bright blue sky.

"No; Harry and Ginny created only a week or two ago," Mr. Weasley said, "I'm not entirely sure how they did it, but I know for a fact that it's somewhat similar to the ceiling in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but it also changes with the seasons, daytime and weather. Plus, those deer are not the only animals one can see." He smiled to his second oldest son, who looked around for more animals, and caught sight of different types of birds perched in the trees.

"What kind of animals are there?" Bill asked.

"I don't know. I asked Ginny, but she just told me to sit down and watch patiently," Mr. Weasley smiled and moved on after Mrs. Weasley down the stairs and straight across the room to a long passage with windows facing out towards the lake on the left side, offering a magnificent view over the quiet water and blooming plants bushes littering the lakeside. On the right side one could see a strawberry patch and a tomato trellis which was halfway covered in plants. From the window they could see Harry, Ginny and Neville working on mending the tomato trellis.

They moved on to another hall, this one too reaching over two floors, of light marble and with a suspended platform on top of the stairs with a large door. A small staircase with white tulips, Across the room from where they had entered was another door, which was open. A gravelled patch with a circular flowerbed was visible outside. Between tufts of Japanese forest grass grew lisianthus, and great allium framed by a belt of baby's breath behind them. White tulips and lily-of-the-valleys grew in a flower bed following the wall of the house on either side of the staircase leading from the entrance door.

"Now, that is a difference!" Bill declared brightly at seeing the flower beds, "Last year everything was covered in weeds."

"It was when Harry and Ginny got home from Hogwarts too," Mr. Weasley informed him as they followed Mrs. Weasley's swift walk around the entrance building. "but their friends have been staying here a lot since then, and they have been helping getting the garden back on track."

" – but I think the first idea would be better. I think the plants would grow better with that. It would cause less competition," Neville's voice reached them when they came around the corner.

Ginny looked up when hearing the guests' approach. "Hi!" he said happily, "we're just adding to the trellis. It came up too short. I never knew tomato plants grew so tall!"

"That depends on the sort of tomato that you use, dear," Mrs. Weasley said and gave the three children a hug each. "Now, where are your brothers and Hermione?"

Behind the Palace. Percy is still at work, though. He said he hoped to be home early today," Ginny said, Are you all coming along to the World Cup?" Ginny asked.

"For sure," Charlie said.

"I'll only be staying till the day after the Cup. Got some things to do for Gringotts," Bill informed her, inspecting the rather large patch of tomato plants, which carried quite a few red tomatoes by now. "Perhaps you could give Charlie a tour? Sincee hasn't seen the Palace yet."

"Well, there isn't much to show, really," Ginny said, glancing at Harry, "besides, I thought Charlie loved exploring. We've got to finish these trellises rather soon, since you can see the tomato plants are crowing very fast."

Harry noddded in agreement. "We could show you around afterwards, though, Charlie," he added.

Charlie nodded. "Come on, then," he said to Bill, "I want to see Ron. He wrote that he hopes to get good enough to make the Quidditch team this year. I want to see it for myself."

"You do that. He's barely been off the broom outside of meals these days," Ginny said and started to wave her wand again.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley lead their two oldest sons around the house to the greater garden and the Quidditch field. Like expected, Fred and George were up there beating a Bludger, and Ron busily defending the goalposts from a Quaffle that Harry had charmed to attack again and again. They just managed to see Ron swooping down and block the right hoop in a rather spectacular save.

"Nice save, little brother!" Charlie shouted, drawing Ron and the twins' attention to him. Ron paused and waved his wand at the Quaffle, which then dropped straight from the sky and down on the grass below. He soared down and landed in front of Charlie with a large grin.

"Thanks. Did you see Ginny? She promised to practice with me later," he inquired.

Fred and George landed beside him, studying Charlie closely before they muttered quietly between themselves, mischievous smiles growing wider and wider every second.

"Yes, I did, but she, Harry and Neville are busy with the trellis for the tomato plants," Bill said.

"Still? They've been working on that since lunch!" George complained.

"Where is Hermione, then?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking around for the Palace's last visitor, probably in the hopes of interrogating her about muggle lifestyle.

"Probably by the pond," Ron said thoughtfully, "I saw her dragging over a chair from the flagstone patch along with a book."

Bill took Charlie to show him around the house – at least until Harry and Ginny finished the trellis. But because of the size of the palace, they didn't finish until Ginny had practiced for nearly two hours with Ron, and was already working on tonight's dinner along with Harry. Mrs. Weasley, who had been pertubed by being told to relax while the children cooked, had by now grown so used to it that she contented herself with watching and chatting with them.

"Perfect timing as usual, Perce," Harry declared when he noticed Percy's magical signature in the room as he came through the corridor leading to the kitchen.

"I keep saying you send me some sort of mental message, Harry. I have no other way to explain it," Percy said and moved over to give his mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, mum!"

"Intuition, Percy," Ginny pointed out, tapping the knife to chop cucumbers for the salad.

"Hi, Percy, dear! How are you?"

"Great, thanks! Being busy at work, of course. The Minister has a lot of things going on," Percy informed her proudly, a sort of bragging that Harry had learned to ignore for the most part.

"I can imagine," Mrs. Weasley said, smilling once again as Hermione entered the kitchen, her nose in a copy of _The Lunar Eclipse and How it Affects Magic._ "Hello, Hermione! Where have you been hiding?"

Hermione stopped in the middle of the doorway and looked up. "Oh! Hello, Mrs. Weasley! I've been reading by the pond. It's so peaceful here; at mum and dad's we have loud traffic passing nearby, so it's rather noisy," she explained and plopped down on a chair beside Mrs. Weasley.

"It is very peaceful here. And Harry and Ginny has done a great work with it; it is really lovely, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Where is Mr. Weasley?" she wondered.

"I imagine he fell asleep in the sofa outside," Mrs. Weasleys said, "he's been working so hard these last few days before his summer break, so he must be exhausted. A break with the kids will do him good, I think."

"It probably will, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione assured her kindly and turned her attention towards Neville, who entered just then, "Did you manage to fix the trellis, Nevillle?"

"Yeah, we just had to figure out the best way to do it to get the best yield," he said.

"Oh, talking about tomatoes," Ginny shot in, "would you mind terribly getting a few tomatoes from outside, Neville? Three should suffice, I think."

"Sure," Neville replied brightly. He had barely left when Ron arrived, his hair still wet from his shower, and his stomach grumbling.

"When's dinner, Ginny? I'm starving!" he declared loudly and bent to open the oven and look inside before Harry gently grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"You are most certainly not starving, not with the amount you ate for lunch. It will be half an hour, tops," Ginny informed him, "sooner if you do the salad for me, so I can get started on the dessert."

Ron reluctantly took hand of the knife and chopped the tomatoes when Neville returned with them. The twins got to the kitchen just in time for dinner, but they were chased outside with a stack of plates, cutlery and glasses each.

"Where the hell is Sirius now?" Harry muttered as he brought the roast duck legs outside, looking around as he passed through the terrace room which had the door leading out to the garden.

"He should be back by now. I can't imagine the conference would last this long," Ginny said.

"What conference? Where is he?" Mrs. Weasley asked curiously as she walked over to the garden sofa, where Mr. Weasley was napping.

"At the World Conference for Welfare for Werewolves. They wouldn't accept children, so Sirius brought our case along. I wonder if he got it through to them," Ginny mused.

"He probably did," Harry assured her, "I imagine him standing up and shouting to the audience. I'm kind of glad I'm not there. I'd probably really embarrassed."

Mrs. Weasley watched them curiously and nudged Mr. Weasley. "Dinner is ready, dear."

"Huh?" he blinked sleepily and peered up at her. "Oh. Right." He clambered out of the sofa, looking slightly stiff, and moved over to the dining table along with the others.

Fred and George split up to find Remus and Sirius, and soon after Fred returned with Sirius, both laughing loudly of something or someone, and George was followed by a thoughtful-looking Remus. The meal was consumed with enthusiasm and chatting until the sun was setting. Charlie, not having visited before or witnessed the "family"'s structure, was rather surprised that Sirius, and especially Remus, didn't take more charge than he did.

"Aren't you the adult here? And Sirius as well; he's Harry's godfather, isn't he?" he asked Remus worriedly when Fred and George laughed about a prank they had played on Percy when he'd gotten too pompous about his work, which ended in him wearing yellow feathers all day and thus had to resort to calling in sick for the day.

"As you can see," Remus said, gesturing towards Harry, who aimed his wand at a small mountain of toffees on the table, causing each of them to explode, before giving Fred a stern look, "Harry and Ginny manage themselves quite nicely, and keep the others in check far better than Sirius or I could do."

Bill peered down the table at Fred, who watched the destroyed toffees with disappointment. "But those toffees – "

"Were pranks," Remus shot in, "designed to make one's tongue grow out of proportion, which would be fine if it wasn't for their only half-finished design. Harry doesn't mind at all their inventing prank products; he just doesn't like them testing it on family members. He told them the other day, and they know the rules. No harmful or potentially harmful pranks, either physically or emotionally, and not causing permanent irreversible damage, and Ginny gave them hell after they had pranked Percy over and over for three days for no apparent reason."

Bill and Charlie still didn't look convinced, so Sirius leaned over Remus and added: "They wouldn't dare upset Harry too much; he's far too powerful, and he might decide to kick them out of the Palace, which would be against their interest," he grinned slyly.

"Sirius?" Harry asked from further down the table.

"Huh?" Sirius asked, turning to look at him.

"How did the conference go?" Harry wondered curiously. That morning Sirius had left with the draft of Harry and Ginny's new law suggestion where an area of land could be warded and offered to the werewolves for use during full moon, which would be safe for humans and werewolves. The draft required at least twenty acres with the estimated number of werewolves given by the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And if using such an area was impossible for a werewolf, the werewolf in question would be required to use some other form for protection, whether it was a room in his house or the use of Wolfsbane Potion. The problem was that Ginny had thought that the Ministry wouldn't just do that out of generosity, so they had added punishment for those werewolves not within these wards or any other protective measures during the hours the full moon was up. They had also pushed on the general rights of werewolves, the lack of which prevented them from getting decent jobs, but this was not a part of the law.

Sirius lit up at the question. "It went really well! The Welfare Organization for Humanoid Creatures were really pleased with it. They will try to bring it up in the Wizengamot, and then, if we're lucky, we'll have Bones as interrogator."

"That's great!" Ginny exclaimed, "was it difficult to convince them?"

"No, not most of them. But there were several representatives from the Ministry and the Department, and they were rather hesitant, so I told them a few things that had them thinking a bit. I seriously doubt that if they were inflicted with lycanthropy, they would hurt innocent people on purpose."

Harry nodded in agreement and spotted Remus staring stiffly into the table.

 _I know he appreciates what we do,_ Ginny said, watching Remus closely, _he just doesn't know how to deal with others defending him and his kind against the Ministry._

Harry understood that very well. It wasn't like it was commonplace amongst humans to defend werewolves. Sirius had tried to convince Remus to come along to the conference to meet other who were willing to fight for their case, but he had refused, afraid to be known as a werewolf by even more people.

"Were there many werewolves there?" Remus asked tentatively glancing at Sirius.

"Around thirty. Perhaps fourty. I shook hands with many of them. Great people, just like you, Moony," Sirius said with a smile.

"Harry?" Ginny leaned over towards her husband under the curious eyes of her parents, "are we bringing our own tent? That one we found in the storeroom on third floor?" she asked quietly, but not enough to prevent Mr. and Mrs. Weasley from overhearing.

Harry met her gaze and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, "if that's what you want, then yes, we can."

Ginny nodded hastily. "No offense, dad, but I don't recall Perkins' tent having double bunk beds," she said, glancing at Mr. Weasley.

"No, I'm afraid it doesn't. Besides, I think that would be best. Perhaps Bill would help you ward it against any invaders? You never know on these busy campsites. Especially if alcohol is consumed," Mr. Weasley said.

"No, I can do the warding," Harry said firmly. He felt confident that he knew enough of the warding spells to prevent unwanted visitors or any fireworks going awry.

"We were considering bringing two tents; one for the boys and one for the girls, but I don't know whether it's really necessary to get a single tent for Hermione," Mr. Weasley asked, looking from Harry to Ginny.

Hermione perked up at hearing her name being mentioned.

"Ours has several bedrooms," Harry said, "Hermione can stay in ours, no problem."

Hermione beamed happily and leaned over to give Ginny a hug. "Thanks!"

As the clock passed ten, Ginny showed her parents to the bedroom she had readied for them, and soon the garden was deserted and people went to bed.


	23. A Change of Heart

The evening before the Quidditch World Cup Mr. and Mrs. Weasley brought Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Neville back to the Burrow along with Bill and Charlie. They were to take the portkey to the World Cup, whereas Harry, Ginny, Sirius, Remus and Percy were apparating. Bill and Charlie were apparating too, so they would join them even later in the morning.

After giving Triomphe a bucket of treats at dawn, tidying a little and checking over the Day-and-Night flower that was expected to bloom in the early hours of morning within a week, Harry and Ginny finally found Sirius awake in the kitchen. Remus was there discussing the Ministry's narrowmindedness with Percy, who was fiddling with the handle of his cup of coffee.

"There! Finally we can leave," Harry said and waved his wand to turn off the lights in the entire Palace before grabbing his and Ginny's backpack, which he flung over his shoulder. Ginny lead the way through the now dim Palace and the impeccable garden. The skirt of her pale blue dress shifted playfully in the breeze, and her long ponytail bounced around her shoulders as they walked towards the border of the wards. Harry couldn't keep his eyes off her. A bubbling sensation inside him made him feel so happy he nearly burst, and he couldn't stop the goofy grin that spread on his face as he wrapped an arm around Ginny's waist and pressed a loving kiss to her cheek.

 _You're beautiful,_ he muttered softly.

She beamed at him, her brown eyes sparkling in the sunrise. _And you are very, very handsome,_ she replied, touching his cheek affectionately. His skin burned pleasantly where her hand touched, and he felt acutely aware of the area which her left hand was touching at his lower back.

The sensation of someone staring at him had him turn. He was met with Sirius' knowing expression, but Sirius rose a brow innocently when he realized that Harry was looking.

"What?" Harry asked, reinforcing his grip on Ginny, which caused her to get pinned against his side as they walked. He changed his steps to meet with her shorter.

"You remind me of James and Lily a few years older than the two of you are now. They were so in love; you could see it from a mile's distance," Sirius said fondly.

"Well, we _are_ in love, if you must know," Ginny said briskly and pulled Harry down for a kiss before marching on. "Come on, now; we were supposed to meet the others when they arrived with the portkey. Dad said they will be travelling with the Diggorys."

Once outside of the wards, Harry and Ginny apparated with their arms around each other without really thinking about it. The apparition point was just beside the arrival point of the portkeys, and two men were waiting with long lists and a big wooden box with an odd assortment of muggle objects; rubber ducks, bike tyres, a punctured football and other used portkeys. The wizards wore muggle clothes, although not very expertly done. Harry felt Ginny holding back a giggle at the sight of a kilt matched with a poncho and thigh-length galoshes with a tweed suit, and cracked a smile at her before approaching the man with the galoshes, who held a watch in his hand. Sirius followed, content with listening as Harry spoke.

"Excuse me, sir," Harry began, "could you tell us where to find our campsites? Potter and Black?"

The man's eyes widened, and his gaze travelled up to Harry's scar, causing him to shift uncomfortably. "Oh! Yes, yes, of course, Mr. Potter… let's see… a quarter of a mile in that direction," he pointed, "the first field you find. Ask for Mr. Roberts. Beside the Weasley tent, as requested. Black… Black…" he searched further up his list, "second field in the same direction. Camp manager's Mr. Payne."

"Thanks," Harry said, and went back to Ginny to wait for the rest of the Weasleys who were to arrive by portkey any minute according to his watch.

They didn't have to wait long before an old boot appeared, surrounded by Mr. Weasley, Neville, Ron, Fred, George, Hermione, Diggory and a tall man with ruddy face and scrubby brown beard. The arrival sent Neville, Ron, Hermione and the twins toppling over, and Sirius uttered a bark-like laugh, causing the unfamiliar man to look at him through his oval glasses.

"Long time no see, Black!" he declared, offering Sirius a half-hearted smile before his gaze drifted over to Remus and narrowed in recognition, "Lupin."

"Diggory," Sirius responded with a curt nod, his smile instantly disappearing, "didn't see you at the conference the other day. You missed the presentation my godson's great idea." His tone was hard and cold, and Harry realized that, while aquaintances, there was a certain dislike for each other. What more, Sirius' words lead him into thinking that Mr. Diggory had something to do with werewolves.

"Ah! The Werewolf Safety Act." Mr. Diggory didn't look particularly pleased, "well, luckily there are other, more sane people than an escaped Azkaban convict."

"Father!" Diggory exclaimed, "don't be rude! I'm so sorry, Potter, Mr. Black," he said, towing Mr. Diggory away.

Sirius' face was red in anger as he glared at Mr. Diggory's retreating back, and Remus had to forcefully hold his right hand to prevent him from hexing him, or even attack him physically. Harry's own emotions mirrored Sirius' ones, but at last he had Ginny's more rational side sending waves of calmness through their connection. Her hand took his, doubling it tenfolds, and at the same time stopped him from going after the man.

The Weasleys, Hermione and Neville wore similar expression of anger for Mr. Diggory's comment, but Mr. Weasley, the ever calm person, lead them on towards Mr. Roberts' campsite while Sirius and Remus, much to their dissatisfaction, followed the Diggorys towards Mr. Payne's campsite.

After about twenty minutes of walking a stone cabin came into view, beside an iron-wrought fence containing a sea of tents shimmering ghostly in the mist. From what Harry could see at the distance there were hundreds and hundreds of them, and probably more than he saw from outside the fence.

A man was standing on the doorstep of the cabin, looking over the tents with a puzzled expression. Harry only needed one look at him to figure that he was a muggle. He turned at hearing footsteps approaching.

"Morning!" Mr. Weasley said happily.

"Morning," the man replied.

"Are you Mr. Roberts?" Mr. Weasley asked the muggle.

"Yes, I am," the muggle confirmed with a nod, "and who might you be?"

"Weasley… one, booked a couple of days ago?"

Mr. Roberts skimmed down the list in his hands. "Yes, right. One night?" Mr. Weasley nodded in confirmation, "You'll be paying now, then?"

"Oh – well – certainly," Mr. Weasley said and pulled out some muggle money from his pouch. "Harry, will you help me, please?" he asked lowly.

Rather than explaining the money to Mr. Weasley – he could always do that later – he just picked out the requested amount, letting Mr. Weasley hand them over. However, Mr. Roberts caught on and suspected them to be foreigners. He was in the middle of his musings about a festival of sorts being held at his site when an obliviator stepped up and put a spell on him.

"One tent – Potter," Harry said, counting the money for Mr. Roberts when he had regained his focus from the memory charm.

Mr. Roberts nodded and accepted the money.

The Weasleys and their friends went on to find their campsite, which was no easy task, despite the maps that they had received. They finally found their spot near the edge of the forest, beside a tent dyed Irish green splattered with shamrocks, and with a sign hammered into the ground reading "Weezly". Beside it was another sign, which was fortunately written correctly "Potter".

Mr. Weasley asked Harry and Hermione to help him put up the tents the muggle way, since they couldn't use magic in the presence of muggles, but working together they managed to figure out where the pegs and poles were to go, although Mr. Weasley was more of a hindrance when it came to the mallet, because of his overexcitement, so Harry and Hermione kept correcting his errors when he beat the pegs too far into the ground. Ginny solved it by dragging him aside, settling him into one of the camping chairs that she and Harry had brought. The other two tents happened a little faster than the first once they got the gist of it, and soon enough they had a couple of two-person tents erected on their campsite. Harry had to be reminded of magic by Ginny before he figured that the tents were more than what they seemed to be, although Hermione looked confused.

"Let's just go inside," Harry muttered to her.

Hermione nodded and stepped inside one of the Weasleys' tents, where she stopped so suddenly that Harry collided into her and nearly sent her toppling over the shoes parked straight inside. The tent, like Ginny had hinted, was nothing like expected. Rather than the small inside of a two-person tent, Harry thought he'd stepped into an old-fashioned three-room flat, even containing a kitchen and a bathroom. It consisted of mismatched furniture and pillows, and reminded Harry strongly of Mrs. Figg's house with the strong smell of cats.

 _I'm so glad we brought our own tent,_ Ginny said, wrinkling her nose.

 _Stop complaining, kitty,_ Harry teased, earning a shove from Ginny, which the others, being used to it by now, ignored.

"We'll be in our tent, dad," Ginny told Mr. Weasley and marched out of the tent, nearly colliding with Bill, who had arrived with Charlie. He raised a brow at her as he watched her move over to the Potter tent. It looked miraculously ordinary compared to the wizarding tents on the rest of the campsite; no chimneys, weather vanes or gardens. It was simply pale cream, and nothing more special.

After looking around to make sure no muggles were looking, Ginny put up a one-way silencing charm and a hex-protection bubble before entering, leaving the more advanced spells to Harry, who usually did them far better than her. It was rather typical with spells in the Defence Against the Dark Arts category. Ginny was better on other areas, not that she was particularly bad at Defence spells. Only, Harry was better. He put up some more spells to prevent unwanted visitors to enter, and then headed inside with his wife.

Their tent was nearly the complete opposite than Perkins' tent; it was roomy and bright with soft rugs and curtains separating two dining rooms from the kitchen. Then there were no less than three bedrooms and one bathroom. It was nicely casual, but still fashionable, despite having been hidden away for at least fifteen years. A few sheep hides were placed casually around the room, and the lanterns bathed it in a warm light.

Kicking off her shoes, Ginny wandered into the first drawing room and collapsed on the sofa, waving Harry over. He smiled softly and lay down beside her, pulling her in for a kiss. Feeling her body against him always made him feel calm and happy, and this time was no exception. He didn't want to move an inch for the rest of his life from where he was right now, his forehead resting against hers and staring into her chocolate brown eyes.

"I love you," she whispered, causing butterflies to flutter happily in his stomach.

"I love you too."

For a long time they lay completely still, just staring at each other. Then, after five minutes Ginny spoke up.

"Harry?"

"Hm?"

"We need water. And fire."

"Mm-hm," he responded drowsily, letting his eyes drift shut.

"Harry," she repeated softly.

"Soon," he said, unwilling to move. Ginny too was reluctant, preferring to stay with him, and her arms around his neck enforced that opinion.

She sighed and pressed her body against his, burying her face against his neck. "We really should get water, Harry," she muttered.

"I know. I don't want to," he replied, inhaling her scent.

Another five minutes passed before Ginny finally pushed Harry off the sofa, causing him to hit the floor. Groaning painfully, he pushed himself up on his feet and shot Ginny a dirty look. She merely smirked at him and followed him.

Harry grabbed the two buckets that he found in a storeroom behind the bathroom and the map over the campsite that the Muggle had given them. The sun was rising higher, and the mist lifting. People were starting to wake up; earliest were the families with small children. Toddlers playing on brooms soaring only a few feet above the ground and a small boy accidentally enlarging a snail to the size of a salami. Then there were those who had a look around and lit a fire with their wand and those who tried to use matches, but doubtfully so. They passed groups of foreign wizards and witches who were cooking breakfast on a purple fire.

When he reached the water tap marked on the map, he found Ron, Neville and Hermione waiting with a few buckets and a sauce pan.

"Hi! How's your tent?" Neville asked, watching Harry curiously.

"Great! We don't have a tent that smell like cats," Ginny teased.

"Shouldn't you have a look inside our tent too, Hermione?" Harry wondered.

"Yes, I just have to help the boys bringing some water. We're making a joint fire, right?" she turned on the tap when they finally reached the water.

"Umm, yes. I guess Harry and I'll have to cook; I doubt dad knows how to," Ginny said, smiling faintly.

"Dad can't cook to save his life. He even burns toast," Ron commented pushing his saucepan underneath the tap to fill it.

Neville's eyes sparkled in silent laughter, and he bit his lip. "That's just like my Gran; Merlin knows what we'd do without our house-elf."

"You've got a house-elf?" Hermione stared at him with horror, "tell me you're setting him free, right?" she demanded before Harry pulled her aside, leaving Ginny to fill their buckets.

"Hermione," he said seriously, "not every house-elf wants to be freed. You should know this by now. We've talked about it before. Being freed is against their nature – "

"But Dobby – " she began, but Harry stiooed her by raising a hand.

"Dobby is the odd one. One in one thousand, perhaps, or even less. They'll consider themselves dishonoured and insulted if freed, and I doubt you can convince them," Harry pressed on, putting a firm look at her.

She huffed and stomped back to Ron and Neville and waited until Harry and Ginny had filled their buckets too, so they could walk back together. They found Mr. Weasley crouching by a heap of haphazardly stacked wood, and rather hopelessly fumbling with the matches.

"I'll help you, Mr. Weasley," Hermione put down her saucepan and moved over to help him with the fire that was placed between the Potter tent and Perkins' tent.

"We'll get out some food," Harry said, brining the buckets inside. After rummaging a little in the cold pantry, he found some bacon, eggs and sausages, and in addition brought out half of the bread that Ginny had made yesterday morning and jam from their strawberry garden.

Ginny had already placed their frying pan on the fire to heat it. She caught the packet of butter which he flung at her, and dropped a knob of butter into the pan, tilting it to melt it. The others listened to Mr. Weasley telling them about all of his Ministry colleagues which passed on the kind of thoroughfare to the field that their tents had been placed by. The Weasleys were slightly bored from listening; they've obviously had the introduction before.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

To make time pass, Harry and Ginny had left their tent to Hermione to be alone for a while. During the last weeks at the Palace, they have always had company in some way or another, be it Sirius chatting about some elaborate scheme of his, Hermione's tireless questions or the twins noisy presence. Time to themselves, and them alone was scarce, and the times it happened were far between. At least outside of bedtime.

The sun was shining brightly, and the noise from the campsite had grown distant when the pair had wandered outside the fence and to the edge of the forest instead. A meadow with tall grass grew alongside the fence. Yellow blossoms poked up from the sea of green, and an occasional butterfly fluttered about in the search for food.

Harry and Ginny walked in silence, their fingers intertwined and next to no space between them. They stopped every so often for a quick snog, or just to be close.

 _Harry?_ Ginny paused in the middle of their kiss as she caught sight of something over Harry's left shoulder, _What's that?_

Harry followed her mental guidance to an area of grass that was flattened as if something was hiding in it. And when the wind caught the grass and made it shift, they caught sight of something small and pale in the grass. Harry figured it might be a wayward child had fallen asleep, so he untangled from Ginny's arms and moved through the grass towards the child to help it find its parents. They were probably terrified.

But as he crouched by the figure, he realized that this was no child; it was humanoid, yes, but no child had such large bat-like ears, nor would they have this long fingers.

"Ginny, it's a house-elf!" he exclaimed and managed to turn the house-elf around just as Ginny bounced through the grass after him. His breath hitched when he recognized the elf, and a knot swelled inide his throat. "D-Dobby?" he gasped breathlessly, staring at the familiar face with a pencil-nose, which was uncannily swollen and red. His eyes were close, and he felt oddly cold at touch. Dobby's skin was mottled with even paler spots, and there were several wounds on his body, rimmed by an odd purple colour, and looking slightly infected.

Nudging him gently, Harry called his name again, which earned no response whatsoever. Not even a slight emotion for Ginny to pick up on.

"He isn't dead, is he?" she asked worriedly, leaning over Dobby's still form to feel for a heartbeat. She then sagged in relief.

"No, but there's some magical illness, I think," Harry muttered, trying to search his brain for where he might have read about the symptoms.

Ginny too was deep in thought, and Harry noticed the same worry and impatience that he felt himself. He wanted to help their little friend who had gone out of his way in an attempt to save Harry nearly two years ago.

"That's the house-elf version of the Maculosus Albus, isn't it?" she asked and gently separated Dobby's eyelids one at a time. His previously tennisball green eyes were white, as if the irises were gone, and the pupils were the only thing left.

"Damn. That's not good," Harry said as he realized where he had read about those symptoms. It was the very same book that they had read about the Cerulean Fever that Triomphe had come down with; _Common and Uncommon Diseases for Magical Creatures (including Merfolk and Centaurs)_. It told you how to identify illnesses and how to treat them.

"We've got to do something!" Ginny urged impatiently, her face panic-ridden, and hands reaching out to grab Dobby.

Harry gently gathered Dobby in his arms, and Ginny placed a hand on his arm, allowing him to apparate them all straight into the Potter tent. Hermione was absent – perhaps fortunately. Ginny quickly rushed off to find a cauldron in which she put water. Her actions revealed her level of stress; they both knew the risk that a Maculosus Albus disease brought; self-harm, delirium, madness, losing consciousness and eventually death. Acting quickly was vital by this stage. Harry gently put Dobby down on the loveseat while Ginny waved her wand to light the stove beneath the cauldron; with the magic flames it began to boil within no time. She dropped six leaves of moonshade and a few drops of pressed waterbelly fruit into it before adding a bit of her magic. It started to foam, but Ginny just pushed the foam away and filled a goblet with the clear potion at the bottom.

"I hope it's good enough; it should've had a few more minutes to get stronger," she said as she emptied the goblet into Dobby's mouth.

Harry studied his wounds a little bit. He knew they were impossible to heal while the little elf was this ill. Resignated, he dumped down in the chair beside him and watched him with worried anticipation and grabbed Ginny's waist as she sat down on his knees, frowning.

"What if it's too late?" she whispered, her voice thick with fear.

Harry understood her concern very much. That little elf had, even though overdone, gone out of his way in attempt to save a boy with no connection to his masters, or who he had ever met before. He had gone against the very nature of the family he had served, despite the danger of being lethally harmed and abused for it by the Malfoys if they found out that he had tried to help Harry Potter. The least Harry wanted was to watch Dobby die, while still being within reach to rescue him. So he could only hug Ginny closer without saying a word.

The next few minutes felt like hours as they sat there waiting. Ginny shifted to snuggle up against Harry's chest, but both stared apathically at Dobby's form. Then, after nearly ten minutes of uncanny silence, the pale patches on Dobby's skin started to disappear.

Ginny sat up and gasped before hurrying forward, her heart thumping madly in her chest. Lifting the left eyelid, her face blossomed into a smile. Her gaze met Harry's, sparkling with relief. "It worked!"

He grinned at her and moved over to hug her, "Good," he breathed, "let's leave him be for a while. It's supposed to be an hour between the first and the second sip."

She nodded, "I know."

While waiting, Harry and Ginny began cooking dinner so it could be done before the match would start. The activity had picked up during the afternoon, and the Ministry wizards were doing their best to keep the muggles unsuspicious in all the chaos. Salesmen selling moving figurines of the players, team articles and souvenirs appeared everywhere, and Harry and Ginny found themselves being pestered by several of them, trying to get them to buy scarves for Bulgaria or scowling models of Victor Krum. At last they disappeared inside their tent and looked to Dobby, who was still unconscious. They had treated his wounds once the illness had receded enough for their potions to be useful.

Naturally, they didn't expect Dobby to wake up by the time they went to the match, but they gave him the third dose of the potion before they left with the rest of the Weasleys. The stadium was enormous. It was easily the size of Potter Palace, and reached far into the sky. Mr. Weasley explained to them how the Ministry had struggled to protect it from the eyes of muggles as they entered and climbed the many purple-carpeted stairs up to the top boxes behind a smaller and smaller crowd as they passed the doors on each level. On almost every landing there was at least one wizard selling souvenirs. Harry was content with the Omniculars, and Ginny had only gotten a scarf in addition, showing their support to Ireland.

The top box that Harry and Hermione were sharing with the Weasleys had excellent view over the near perfect field. Harry really had to fight his desire to fly on that field himself, so he tore his gaze away and studied their company in the top box. A house-elf even smaller than Dobby was their only company, sitting a few chairs away from them, her hands covering her eyes while she trembled.

Because of all the magic around, Harry nearly missed the large field of concealment magic beside her. Someone was hiding beneath an invisibility cloak.

 _Can you feel it too, Gin?_ He asked, trying to study the person beneath the cloak.

 _Yeah. He's worried about you looking at him. There's something restraining him. He's passionate about something, he's longing for something. Can you tell anything, Harry?_

 _Not without reading his mind. I have to be on guard, though. He's got the Dark Mark. But he's imperiused into submission. Unfamiliar signature. I don't know who did it._

To cover up for their curiosity, Ginny approached the house-elf. "Hello," she said kindly, causing the elf to peer out between her fingers. She looked at Ginny and then at Harry with big eyes when she recognized him.

"You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" Ginny asked gently.

The little elf nodded. "But Master asked me to save him a seat, he is very busy. Winky is wishing she was back in Master's tent, but Winky does what she is told. Winky is a good house-elf."

"Your Master must be proud to have such a great house-elf as you. I don't have one myself," Harry said, "but I've got a house-elf as a friend. His name is Dobby – " He stopped himself short when he noticed her flinch, "you know of him?"

"Y-Yes… Winky knows Dobby too, sir. Dobby talks about Harry Potter all the time, sir," Winky said.

"He does? Is his freedom suiting him, then?" Harry asked.

"I is not meanining any disrespect, sir," Winky said, shaking her head, "but I is not so sure that you did Dobby a favour, sir, when you set Dobby free. The freedom is getting to Dobby's head, sir!"

"How so?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Dobby is having ideas above his station, sir! Can't get another position, sir! He is wanting _pay_ , sir!"

"And you don't agree with that, right?" Harry asked knowingly, a faint smile ghosting his face.

Winky shook her head indignantly, "House-elves is not paid, sir! No, no, no! I says to Dobby, I says, go and find a nice family and settle down, Dobby. He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and the next thing I hear you's up in front of the Department of Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures, like some common goblin!"

"When did you see Dobby last?" Ginny asked softly, her hand automatically reaching for Harry's, causing the small, everpresent pull to disappear, and a gentle tingling to return every time they touched.

"A month ago, sir," Winky said.

"Perhaps you would like to know that he's come down with Maculosus Albus, and is currently resting in our tent," Ginny informed her, "perhaps you know about the illness?"

The little colour in Winky's pale cheeks disappeared, and her ears started to quiver. "Oh no! He must have help! He will die!" she squeaked worriedly, nearly standing in surprise.

"Way to break it, Gin," Harry muttered, shooting her a look, "don't worry, Winky. We've given him the required antidote, and he's been recovering every hour since we found him."

Winky's ears dropped, and her facial features relaxed in relief. "I is not liking that Dobby wants freedom, but I is not wanting him dead!" she declared.

"Well, he needed our help, and if you ever need our help too, Winky, you just have to make contact," Harry said kindly, smiling at her. And he meant it; others might say she, like Dobby, was just a house-elf, but for Harry and Ginny, Dobby was a friend, and Winky might potentially be one too, just like Triomphe had turned out to be – and he was a dark creature in addition.

Winky's big, brown eyes filled with tears, and her ears quivered slightly. "Harry Potter is too kind!" she squeaked, "Winky does not deserve help from such a great wizard as Harry Potter!"

She gave the edge of the box another hesitant look, squeaked, and hid her eyes behind her hands again. Harry turned back to the others, pulling Ginny a little bit closer, just for the pleasantness of having her near.

As the match neared, the box steadily filled with Ministry employees. Even Cornelius Fudge was taking a spot in their top box. Percy greeted his boss politely, but gained less attention from Fudge, who was more busy watching Harry warily, obviously remembering their last encounter one year ago.

"Mr. Potter," he said politely, giving Harry a polite nod, eyeing Harry's arm, which was wrapped around Ginny.

"Good afternoon, Minister," Harry replied stiffly, eyeing the man beside Fudge just as warily.

"This is the Bulgarian Minister for Magic, Oblansky… Obilinsky..." Minister Fudge said before giving up. "He doesn't know English – where is Barty when you need him?"

Instead of having to speak with Fudge, Harry turned to the Bulgarian Minister, "Prijatno mi e da se zapoznaem," he said, somewhat brokenly, "Az se kazvam Harry Potter." He held out his hand politely.

The Bulgarian Minister smiled and shook his hand before answering in Bulgarian, "It's an honour to meet you, Mr. Potter. I have heard a lot about you. I am Petar Oblansk." His eyes then drifted to Ginny and the Weasleys, who were watching.

"This is my wife, Ginny, and her family, the Weasleys, and a couple of my friends, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom," Harry said, gesturing with his arm.

Minister Fudge and the nearby Ministry employees stared at Harry with surprise, and out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw the Malfoys, who had seats behind the Weasleys, glaring jealously at him for his friendly tone with such a high-ranking person.

"Ah!" Oblansk said, "a family trip!"

Harry smiled and nodded.

"Our family is greater than this, Minister," Ginny smiled, "and it extends the boundary of a family being biologically related."

Minister Oblansk's brows raised towards his hairline, and he smiled with amusement. "Yes, well, family is great to have, no matter what. I too am very lucky to have my wife and children here today." He then had to move on since Fudge wanted to talk to the Malfoys. Fudge then had the nerve to say that Malfoy had donated a lot of money to St. Mungo's, which reinforced Harry's knowledge of both Fudge and the Ministry being corrupt, so Harry sent Fudge a warning glare, which quickly shut him up and had him flushing red.

"Err… yes, well…" he stuttered, throwing wary looks in Harry's direction.

Mr. Malfoy then began picking on Mr. Weasley and his family's wealth, which made both the Weasleys and Harry furious. It was just luck that Harry spotted Malfoy nudging Mr. Malfoy and gesture discretely towards Harry, who only was vaguely aware that in his rage, his magic was acting up again, causing the air to shimmer.

"Mr. Potter," Mr. Malfoy drawled, schooling his face into hiding the apprehensive emotions that Ginny picked up. "My son has told me a lot about you."

Harry narrowed his eyes. He was tempted to have a look inside Mr. Malfoy's mind, and quietly questioned Ginny on it. "I've heard a lot about you too, Mr. Malfoy," he replied slyly, causing Mr. Malfoy's lip to curl angrily, but another nudge from Malfoy prevented him from speaking. With a final resolve he peeked inside Mr. Malfoy's mind. He brushed past conversations with high-ranked Ministry officials until he found memories of conversations with Draco.

 _"_ _Damned that little Harry Potter brat," Mr. Malfoy muttered as he stared into his glass of fine wine, "If he hadn't been born, the Dark Lord would still be here, and mudbloods would be gone; cease to add dirt to our fine magic." He paused and took a sip of wine. "How could you let that little tart beat you to best in your year again? And worst in class in potions, even! Are you trying to embarrass me?" he snapped at Draco, who was standing beside him, watching the piece of parchment that an owl had brought just that morning._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, father. You know that Potter associates with her; I didn't want to upset him. Even Dumbledore is afraid of him," Draco said, finally glancing up at his father, who watched him with attentively._

 _"_ _That old fool is afraid of Potter? What the hell are you talking about, Draco? Even the Dark Lord was afraid of Dumbledore!" Mr. Malfoy snarled agitatedly, sitting up tensely in his chair._

 _Draco looked hesitant at best, and took a step backwards. "Father, he destroyed a Dementor on the train to Hogwarts last autumn! I watched it! There was a huge eagle patronus, which barged into the Dementor, which dissolved. It was golden, father! And he had a duel with Dumbledore too, when Dumbledore tried to obliviate that Weaslette. She's apparently married to him, but I have no idea how. He knocked down Dumbledore as if he was a first year, and he had an accidental bout of magic that had the whole castle shaking and wrecked the Great Hall completely. Dumbledore couldn't even reverse it until Potter was out of the room. I don't think even the Dark Lord would have any chance on him, especially if Dumbledore is stronger than the Dark Lord, and you said that the Dark Lord was afraid of Dumbledore," Draco said, watching his father as he anticipated a strong reaction. And he was right._

 _Mr. Malfoy burst out of the chair, nearly spilling the wine in the glass that he still held and started to pace the floors with a worried look on his face; an expression never shown for people outside his family._

 _"_ _This is not good," he muttered, "you are very right. For once, I am glad that the Dark Lord is dead. We wouldn't have to choose his side. Malfoys never lose, Draco. Remember that. And joining the Dark Lord with Potter as an opponent would mean we'd lose."_

 _"_ _Dumbledore doesn't think that the Dark Lord is dead. Neither does Potter. I don't even think Professor Snape thinks so. After all, records say they didn't find his body," Draco said thoughtfully, not sure what to think himself._

 _Mr. Malfoy looked at him for a long time. "So Severus believes that the Dark Lord is alive, does he?" he asked slowly, watching Draco closely._

 _"_ _He hasn't said so, and he acts like the Dark Lord_ is _dead, because I don't think he is searching for him at all." Draco hesitated. "Father, if the Dark Lord really isn't dead, what should we do? Potter would be after our heads."_

 _Mr. Malfoy sat back into his chair and downed his glass of wine before snapping his fingers. A house-elf appeared and refilled his glass when he held it out. "If the Dark Lord is alive, I will be in trouble for not searching for him. And plainly said, I am not certain if I want to have him back, despite his grand ideas."_

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _It was always about hiding from the Ministry, son. I was lucky to get away with throwing the blame on the Imperius Curse. And to be frank, by not searching for him, I would end up in more trouble with the Dark Lord than what is worth it, should it turn out that he is indeed alive." He peered at Draco as his fingers drummed contemplatingly against the glass._

 _"_ _How do we know?" Draco asked._

 _"_ _If the Dark Lord is alive? We don't," Mr. Malfoy said honestly, "only, I was at your Aunt Bellatrix' trial with the Lestranges and Crouch jr. They too seemed convinced that the Dark Lord were alive, now that I think of it, if anything Bella said during the trial was something to go by." He paused and sighed deeply. "No, Draco, we can't know for sure, but we can guess. I will look around for a bit. Hopefully I can get some useful facts without looking too suspicious."_

 _"_ _Yes, father," Draco said, nodding as he attached Mr. Malfoy's words to his mind._

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

 _"_ _Narcissa, my dear," Mr. Malfoy began as he entered the drawing room where his wife sat with_ the Daily Prophet _of the day, "I have to speak with you."_

 _The blonde witch put down_ the Prophet _and watched Mr. Malfoy patiently. "Yes, what is it?"_

 _Mr. Malfoy sighed and sat down on a chair across of her. "It's about the Potter boy. According to Draco, that scrawny little kid has got more powers than what we thought. He has no problem in beating Dumbledore in a duel, and knows magic unfamiliar to us. He destroyed a Dementor, Cissa, dear. With a golden patronus, if we should believe Draco, who claimed to have witnessed it."_

 _Mrs. Malfoy stared at him with mild surprise. "Well, I suppose it should have been expected. He killed the Dark Lord after all," she said matter-of-factly._

 _"_ _Yes, but I managed to have a look on his file at the Ministry – a few bribes makes people do anything or you. He is married to the Weasleys' girl, and don't ask me how, because I have no idea. I searched around for a bit, and there are no laws that allow a fourteen-year-old marry a thirteen-year-old, unless Magic is involved, which would explain his being emancipated." Mr. Malfoy paused to let Mrs. Malfoy process all the new information. She looked calm and collected, quietly contemplating his words. "But the thing that surprised me the most was the note on his card giving him authorization to kill."_

 _"_ _What!" she shrieked, breaking her calm demeanor in a blink of an eye, "who would grant that to a reckless child who wanders head first into all sorts of dangers? Has the Ministry given him that? Or do you think that is Magic too?"_

 _"_ _No, the Ministry doesn't seem to be aware of it. I think Magic has been into play. Either way, with all his power, child or not, I don't want to be on his wrong side. Draco has already started to try to correct it; he doesn't want to be the goal of Potter's powers. You would be dead before you could blink, and he is the Boy-Who-Lived. People look up to him. They trust him. By moving to his side, we will not lose, and we will keep our reputation. Perhaps even strengthen it by associating with Potter," Mr. Malfoy reasoned._

 _"_ _But Lucius, it goes against everything we stand for; he supports mudbloods, and he's friends with halfbreeds, werewolves and blood-traitors! Couldn't we just keep it like it is? The Dark Lord is dead!"_

 _"_ _I don't think he is after all, Narcissa," Mr. Malfoy said gravely, "I have checked around a bit, and there is absolutely no proof that he's dead. Bellatrix too was convinced that he would rise again. She said so at the trial. Plus, no body was found, and if I am not entirely wrong, that diary a couple of years ago was more than just a diary. "_

 _Mrs Malfoy frowned. "How so? What was up with it?"_

 _"_ _I didn't suspect anything about it when I gave it to the Weasley girl, but do you remember when Draco found it when he was three and started to draw in it?" he asked._

 _Mrs. Malfoy stiffened and looked at him with apprehension. "You don't… you don't think he possessed that diary?"_

 _Mr. Malfoy nodded. "At least he did. And Dumbledore knows. There has been no more information on the matter; either he has possessed something else, or that diary contained only a part of him. His magic or something," he said._

 _For a long time Mrs. Malfoy just stared at him. "What should we do?" she asked at last._

 _"_ _Change side."_


	24. Mr Crouch's Secret

Harry found himself staring at the floor in the top box, thoughts spinning in his mind. The Malfoys were no more loyal to the light side as Voldemort himself. They were controlled by fear. It filled Harry with distaste, and he had to turn away to avoid vomiting. If Mr. Malfoy could throw such rude comments to Harry's father-in-law, he couldn't be serious about their decision to switch sides.

Ginny squeezed his hand. _Those rotten people!_ She snarled, _if they can't get their hearts behind their decisions, I want nothing to do with them!_

Harry could only nod in agreement, because at that point Ludo Bagman burst into the box, his round face red and excited. "Everyone ready? Are you ready, Minister?"

Minister Fudge hurriedly took his seat. "Ready when you are, Ludo!" he said, smiling comfortably.

" _Sonorus_!" Bagman said, pointing his wand at his neck, and the next moment he spoke, his voice echoed over the stadium: "Ladies and gentlemen… welcome! Welcome to the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The spectators screamed and clapped, making Harry feel the urge to cover his ears from the noise. Flags in red and green waved in the stands, and the blackboard changed its display from flashy advertisements to _Bulgaria: 0, Ireland: 0_.

"And now, without further ado, let me introduce you to the Bulgarian Team Mascots!" Bagman declared happily. Down on the field about a hundred beautiful women with skin as bright as the moon and white-gold hair flowing perfect with no wind glided out on the field.

Harry instantly knew what these were. Veelas. Judging by Mr. Weasley's reaction, he too knew what they were, as he took off his glasses and started to clean them on his scarf. All the boys were staring avidly at them, mouths agape and a distant look in their eyes. Hermione glared indignantly at Ron, but Ginny was watching Harry with a small frown marring her freckled forehead.

He smiled at her and pulled her gently into her arms. "They don't affect me, Ginny love. Besides, I don't have to go down on the field. The most beautiful girl on the planet is right here. And she's human," he said softly.

Ginny beamed at him and rewarded him with a kiss. When she pulled back, she looked very relieved, but Harry sensed curiosity in her mind.

"Why don't you react to them?" she wondered as she watched Fred and George making fools of themselves.

"Because I love you," he said, earning a shove from her.

"Dad loves mum too, but you see that he's got to consciously avoid their influence," Ginny replied.

 _The bond, perhaps,_ Harry suggested quietly. He turned his head to see Malfoy halfway out of his chair, only held back by a firm grip from his mother.

The Irish mascots turned out to be less hurtful; the leprechauns made an amazing show and dropped tons of leprechaun gold over the audience. Ron scooped up a few handfuls and handed it to Harry as payment for the Omniculars. Harry didn't have the heart to tell him they were magical, and would disappear shortly.

To be able to see an international Quidditch match on top level was absolutely brilliant, if you asked the Weasleys (although Percy was a bit more reserved), and Harry used the opportunity to study the tactics. He was especially interested in the way Krum and Lynch flew, and Ginny picked apart the Irish offence piece by piece to see how they worked. The Bulgarians were below in no time.

"I've got some new inspiration!" she declared excitedly, pressing her Omniculars to her face while she followed Troy from one end of the field to the other.

"Wouldn't it be awesome to play like these guys, Gin?" Harry asked, replaying the Hawkshead Attacking Formation in his Omniculars.

"Oh, brilliant! Like I said, Harry; we are going to be the star players for England after we graduate!"

Soon after Harry got to see Krum's special Wronski Feint, which had Ron jumping up and down.

"Didn't you just do something like that the other day, Harry?" George asked, not looking away from Krum, who was spiralling away while Lynch was down.

"No, are you barking mad?" Harry asked, "I'm nowhere near as good as these. My dives are nothing compared to these."

"I'd love to see you up against Krum, Harry," Charlie pointed out smugly.

"What? You want to see me banged up like Lynch?" Harry demanded hotly.

Charlie merely laughed and shook his head.

The final Wronski Feint was just as dramatic as the previous ones, but Krum caught the snitch with a broken nose and blood trailing in the air behind him thanks to a well-aimed Bludger from Quigley. Afterwards Fred and George demanded their money from Bagman after having won their bet on Krum catching the snitch, but Ireland winning.

"Ah, yes, your winnings," Bagman said, digging out a bag of money from his robes. He pulled out and counted the money.

"Fred, George! You should remember to demand real money. Not Leprechaun gold," Harry hinted, and the twins looked at him with surprise, then at the money, and at Bagman, who glared at Harry and scooped the Leprechaun gold back into the pouch before digging some real gold galleons out of his pockets, causing Fred and George to grin happily.

"Thanks, Harry!" Fred said, "that sly bastard almost got us!"

"Yeah, you're our hero!" George agreed.

After they had managed to get out of the over-filled stadium, they gathered in Perkins' tent for a while since Mr. Weasley suggested a cup of cocoa before they all turned in for the night. After all, with the noise from the celebrations, it was nearly impossible to sleep. At last, Harry had to carry Ginny over to their tent when she fell asleep on his lap, Hermione helping by holding the flap open. When Hermione spotted Dobby still out cold on the sofa, she quickly offered to help, and Harry told her to feed him the potion that was placed on the table before she went to bed.

"He'll be unconscious at least until tomorrow," Harry informed her.

Harry dreamt of flying like Krum that night. Images of his own messy black head on top of robes with his own name, the crowd cheering like they had for Krum when his name was called, and flying as if he flew without a broom; effortlessly and smooth.

His dreams were interrupted by Ginny shaking him impatiently.

"What's it, love?" he asked, sitting up worriedly when he felt her fear.

"There are people running outside. Lots of fear. Panic. There's an attack, Harry!" she whispered, although it wasn't really necessary.

Right now, Harry was very glad he had added the extra spells to prevent drunk wizards from attacking their tent. But no matter what, it would be too risky to stay, and there was a chance that whoever attacked would be able to break the spells. At least it gave them time. He quickly pulled his clothes on and ran outside, Ginny hot on his heels and her hand clutching his.

The sight that met them was sickening; four muggles – Mr. Roberts and his family – were floating suspended in the air by a group of wizards marching in a tight group, their faces contorted behind masks and their wands raised straight upwards. Harry didn't have to look for long before figuring that the wizards wore such dark magic that he couldn't count them for anything else than Death Eaters. The magic imprinted on their forearms confirmed it.

Without thinking, Harry headed towards the source of trouble, hiding behind a row of tents, and unconsciously towing Ginny along, as she refused to let go of him. His mind felt clouded, and his actions were controlled by his instincts. It felt as if someone else were controlling his body. Everything he could think of was to prevent these monsters from hurting his darling Ginny and his friends and his family. Especially Ginny.

Manipulating his magic, he let it go from his wand. It was colourless, invisible. Not even a faint trace as it settled as a line on the path in front of the marchers, who were laughing and jeering at the muggles. Mrs. Roberts was turned upside down so her nightgown dropped, revealing everything beneath.

Harry grimaced and looked away. Then there was a sudden flash as the first of the Death Eaters crossed the line Harry had made, and all of them were suddenly gathered into a white-glowing translucent sphere. The Death Eaters landed on top of each other, rolled around and hung upside down.

Screams and shouts now came from the Death Eaters, but Harry couldn't care less. Without knowing it, he made his way towards the middle of the road, his wand aimed towards the circle. He distantly felt Ginny stand in front of him and wrap her arms tightly around him for the comfort she could offer and help him keep his magic in check. He wrapped his free arm protectively around her shoulders and lifted the sphere into the air. Thumps behind him and a peak around his shoulder from Ginny informed him that the muggles had been dropped, and now the wands of the Death Eaters rained from the sphere.

Altering his magic slightly, Harry caused the sphere to change. Strands of silver shot out like a spider's web and wrapped around the prisoners' legs, hands and torsos, and the wands beneath gathered into clusters, held with the same spiderweb-like strands. During the process Harry was oblivious to a flash of a camera going off, and the photographer disappearing.

Once done, Harry lowered his wand, watching the suspended ball with satisfaction before turning to find a large gathering of Ministry wizards behind him, watching him and Ginny with big eyes. Instead of staying, Harry grabbed Ginny and pushed straight through them. His heart was beating madly, and he felt uneasy about what he had done. Yes, it had been harmless for the Death Eaters, but the worst thing was what had made him take such a risk as to face a large group of well-trained dark wizards all by himself, and especially with Ginny within distance of danger.

Ginny found it pointless to speak at the moment. She allowed him to pull her back to the tent, where Dobby still was sleeping on the sofa. They peered in on Hermione, and she hadn't even stirred.

"Hermione!" Harry said loudly, causing her to startle awake and sit up. "There's been an attack; we've got to go. Get dressed and get outside. Ginny and I will get the others."

Her eyes flew open, alarmed, and she was out of the bed in a moment. Harry and Ginny left quickly and moved over to Perkins' tent, which was empty. Ginny's hand tightened around Harry's as her throat thickened, making it hard to breathe.

"W-Where do you think they are?"

"Everyone were running towards the forest – " he paused when he saw Percy running towards them, panting heavily.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" he gasped and embraced Ginny into a hug. "Ron, Neville and the twins are in the forest. You two go there too. Father, Bill, Charlie and I are going to help the Ministry.

"We just have to wait for Hermione."

Percy nodded and ran off again. Hermione emerged just after, carrying Dobby's still form.

"We couldn't leave him behind," she said.

"Good point," Harry agreed and broke into a jog.

Most people had disapparated when they reached the forest. Soon, however, they found Ron and Neville to their great relief. They've gotten separated from the twins.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked, looking over all of them. His eyes paused at Dobby for a longer moment before he seemed to remember the fact that he was just ill, and relaxed.

"Yes," Ginny said, hugging Ron.

"Oh no!" Neville exclaimed after a while, searching his pockets frantically, "I can't find my wand!"

"Perhaps you lost it somewhere in the chaos, Neville," Ginny suggested. She drew her own wand and muttered a summoning charm. There was a loud squeak, and soon after a figure much larger than a wand came zooming through the air and landed on the ground in front of Ginny with a dull thud.

"Winky?" Ginny exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise. "What are you doing with Neville's wand?"

Ron and Harry exchanged a look of puzzlement.

"There is bad wizards, miss!" she declared and started to move away, but very oddly so, as if some invisible bonds were restraining her, "Winky is trying to get away!"

"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked, peering at Harry.

"She hasn't asked for permission to hide, I imagine," Harry said, remembering Dobby's behaviour from his second year, where Dobby had beaten himself every time he disobeyed an order from the Malfoys, his former masters.

"You know, house-elves get a very raw deal," Hermione said indignantly, "It's slavery, that's what it is! That Mr. Crouch made her go all the way to the top box when she was afraid of heights, and he didn't even turn up! And now she can't even run from danger! Why haven't anyone done anything about it?"

"Probably because they like being bossed around," Ron pointed out as he studied Winky disappearing and reappearing in the bushes across the path, squeaking and panting as she fought the invisible restraint, "besides, she said back at the match that house-elves weren't supposed to have fun."

Their argument was interrupted by Neville. "Winky, may I please have my wand back?"

"Winky is terribly sorry, sir," she said, and then froze suddenly, her ears twisting, as if she caught a sound. She squeaked and bolted away, still holding Neville's wand.

No more than a minute later a shout was heard from not far away, breaking the silence of the forest. "MORSMORDRE!"

Harry had only seen it in books, but the green figure that appeared on the sky was unmistakable: the Dark Mark. Ginny and Neville were pulling on him to get him to move, but his eyes were searching for the caster. If he was as near as it had sounded, he was near enough to hurt his Ginny, and he wouldn't allow that!

Ron joined and began to shove on Harry, and they were finally able to get him moving when a lot of popping sounds caused them to pause again. Wizards appeared in a circle around them, and Harry did the only thing he could think of. "DUCK!" he yelled, throwing himself flat on the ground, pulling Ginny along. Just in time Ron, Neville and Hermione got down too, and Harry felt his hair shifting as multiple voices shouted STUPEFY! Red beams passed right above his head. He heard Ron inhaling sharply to his right and lift his head slightly to look around.

"Stop!" shouted a voice at last, "that's my son! Stop!" Harry's hair stopped moving, and the red beams disappeared, causing the forest to fall into silence again.

Looking up, Harry saw Mr. Weasley bouncing over the heathers towards them, looking terrified. "Ron – Ginny – Harry – are all of you alright Anyone hurt?" he asked urgently.

"No, we're all fine, dad," Ginny said, pushing herself up on her knees.

"Out of the way, Arthur!" said a curt, cold voice, and Mr. Weasley was rudely shoved aside as Mr. Crouch, who approached with a face stiff with rage. "Which of you did it?" he demanded, eyes darting between them, "which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"None of us did!" Harry returned hotly. He hated that Mr. Crouch was making assumptions based on no evidence, "we were searching for Neville's wand; he's lost it!"

Mr. Crouch aimed his wand at Harry, his eyes popping, making him look slightly mad, "Do not lie, sir!"

"Why would I want to associate with the monster that murdered my parents?" Harry growled angrily.

A witch wearing a long woolen nightgown approached from behind, "Barty," she began softly, "They're just kids, they couldn't have – "

"Where did the Mark come from?" Mr. Weasley asked.

All of them pointed towards where they've heard the spell being shouted. "Over there," Hermione said with a trembling voice, "someone shouted an incantation – "

Hermione was unknowingly pointing against the same man that Harry and Ginny had discovered in the top box, but this time, he was stunned, although wrapped in his cloak, hidden in the forest.

Mr. Crouch whipped his wand around and turned his popping eyes towards her instead. "Stood over there, did they?" he said, disbelief etched into his face, "said and incantation, did they? You seem to be well informed about how that Mark was summoned, missy!"

But unlike Crouch, the other ministry wizards and witches didn't think that Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione or Neville had summoned the dark mark, and were now aiming their wands in the direction that they had indicated.

"We're too late," said the witch in the woolen dressing gown, "they'll have disapparated."

Amos Diggory, however, seemed to think one of their stunners might have caught the culprit, so he squared his shoulder and marched out of the clearing. He then shouted in triumph and returned dragging none other than Winky.

Mr. Crouch did not move or speak as Mr. Diggory deposited his house-elf at his feet. The other Ministry wizards stared at Crouch with disbelief, and only after a long time did Mr. Crouch find his voice again.

"This – cannot – be," he said jerkily. "No!"

He strode quickly around Mr. Diggory and aimed towards the woods where Winky had been found. Ginny thought he looked very upset, and the strongest emotion she could see in him was fear when he returned.

 _It's like he's looking for something – or someone. Desperation, worry, anxiety, and then love. That invisible person beside Winky in the top box, it must be him, right? That's the bloke in the forest, isn't it? D'you think they're family?_ She suggested.

 _Maybe. But why would a family member of Barty Crouch have to be invisible – oh. The Dark Mark,_ Harry said, suddenly rememering.

The two exchanged a startling look. How come the Head of the Department of International Cooperation had a Death Eater in his family? And if he had to be hidden, woudn't it be likely that most people knew of said person?

Harry caught Mr. Weasley's gaze, and then hinted towards his left forearm, hoping that Mr. Weasley got the point. Mr. Weasley paled and mouthed "later" before turning to watch as Mr. Bagman appeared and confusedly tried to get updated on the happenings.

They rennervated Winky, who then distressedly tried to convince them of her innocence. When they confronted her with the wand, Neville recognized it, and for a moment he was the target of everyone's attention.

"Amos, look who you're talking to. Do you think Neville Longbotton would conjure the Dark Mark? Remember his parents?" Mr. Weasley whispered.

Harry and Hermione then pointed out that the voice they had heard couldn't come from a house-elf at all, but in the end, it didn't do more good than get Mr. Diggory off her back. Mr. Crouch still decided to give her clothes. Then he spotted Dobby, who Hermione was still holding, as the rest of the Ministry wizards left the clearing, leaving it in the same silence, although this time, it was an uncomfortable silence.

"And this elf?" Mr. Diggory demanded, following Mr. Crouch, watching the elf with distaste.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he glared at Mr. Diggory, remembering his way of looking at Remus. "Immuno Contendum," Harry said, pointing his wand at Dobby. A faint golden light appeared at Dobby's heart, spreading in pulses along the major blood vessels for only a few seconds before vanishing. "Dobby is ill. Unlike someone else, we look after and help even free house-elves rather than to force them to do things that are dangerous to them and things that they are afraid of, like forcing their elf to stay in the top box when she is so clearly afraid of heights or forcing her to stay behind in a tent on fire." He glared at Mr. Crouch, who looked sickly pale by now.

"Harry!" Ron hissed, "you're freezing the ground again!"

Harry looked at him, and then down on the heather, which was glazing over with ice. "Oh. Sorry." He took a few deep breaths and let his magic recede. The ice stopped spreading and began dripping instead, melting.

Mr. Crouch and Mr. Diggory watched Harry with wide eyes, and Mr. Diggory shifted uneasily.

"Well, I guess I am done here, then," he said and handed Neville his wand before he left without another word.

Crouch threw a glance at the sobbing Winky and then moved to follow, but Harry called for him.

"Mr. Crouch?"

Mr. Crouch turned to stare at him with a small frown marring his forehead. "What is it, Potter? I am a busy man, as you know – "

"Who is it that your elf covered for? Who hid below an invisibility cloak in the top box? Some family member of yours?" he asked quietly.

Mr. Crouch gaped in surprise, and looked around at the Weasleys, who just looked confused. He gaped like a fish, and closed it several times as he searched for words.

"I thought your family was dead, Barty?" Mr. Weasley asked suspiciously. "Weren't your son in prison – "

"Is he the Death Eater?" Ginny asked, looking at Mr. Crouch, who looked desperate as his gaze moved wildly from her to Mr. Weasley and to Harry.

"My son!" he wailed, dropping to his knees, "he is my only family – Arthur, you surely understand the importance of family?" He looked up at Mr. Weasley with despair.

"Of course, Barty, but if one of my children became a Death Eater, I couldn't risk other, innocent lives for my own selfish desire to have them with me. But Barty, I thought he was dead?"

"No… no, my wife died. Dear Evaline was deadly ill… we switched. She took his place in prison so he could go free…" Mr. Crouch began to sob hysterically, and Ginny felt slightly bad seeing his sadness. She gripped Harry's hand tightly and looked away from the crying man.

"Please… don't tell anyone!"

"What kind of man are you to care more for reputation than the fact that he might be killing people?" Neville snarled angrily. Harry felt shocked. He had never seen such passionate anger in Neville's normally docile and calm face, and to be frank, it frightened him a little.

"The Longbottoms… I-I am sorry," Mr. Crouch whispered, trying desperately to collect himself and get back on his feet.

"Now, Neville, don't blame Mr. Crouch for a crime he didn't do," Mr. Weasley said, patting Neville's shoulder fatherly.

"But I can blame him for letting mum and dad's torturer go free," Neville snarled venomously, "free to hurt others!"

"No! No, I didn't let him go free, dear Merlin! If anyone found out – " Mr. Crouch began, but Harry interjected.

"Why did you find the need to use the Imperius Curse on your son? Was he incontrollable?"

Mr. Crouch nodded jerkily. "Yes… he only talked about rejoining his master… I had to, I couldn't let him."

"You filthy hypocrite! There you were, head of the Department of Law Enforcement, imprisoning people for the use of an Unforgivable Curse, but still having the nerve to use one on your own son! And now he's free, out of your control!" Neville snapped, "we can be certain that You-Know-Who will return, all thanks to you! Harry, call on the Aurors!"

"There would be no use, Neville. No proof," Harry said as he filed through Mr. Crouch's mind in desperate search for anything that they could use as evidence. "There is no way the Ministry would believe it and put up a trial or to even consider using the truth serum that they used on Sirius. Mr. Crouch has too good a reputation. And he's made himself a very solid alibi."

"Like dad, everyone thinks that Mr. Crouch has no family left. Sorry, Neville," Ginny said.

"Just promise me one thing," Neville stepped up to Mr. Crouch, who looked up at him with wide eyes, "you help capturing him and turn him in the moment you get him, or I will chuck you into Azkaban myself!"

And then he stomped off towards the edge of the forest. Not wanting him to go alone, Harry ran after him and walked in silence. One by one the others too followed.

"What is going to happen to Winky?" Hermione asked worriedly, peering at Mr. Weasley, who shook his head sadly.

"I don't know."

"The way Mr. Diggory called her 'elf' all the time! And Mr. Crouch – he knows she didn't do it, but he's still going to sack her! He didn't care how frightened she had been, or how upset she was – it was like she wasn't even human!" Hermione said passionately, cradling Dobby tighter to her chest.

"Well, she's not," Ron said with a shrug.

Hermione rounded on him, "That doesn't mean she hasn't got feelings, Ron! It's disgusting the way – "

"Hermione, I agree with you," Mr. Weasley said with a sigh, "but this is not the best time for debating about house-elf rights and welfare."

With Hermione slightly more subdued, they all headed back to the tents and Charlie's head poking out of the boys' tent. They stepped inside, finding Percy sporting a bloody nose, Charlie with a large rip in his shirt and Bill was sitting on the small kitchen table with his arm bleeding profusely, a bedsheet pressed to it to stop the bleeding. Fred and George looked relatively unhurt, but the seriousness of the situation was evident in their usually cheerful faces.

"Harry, will you get the potions bag, please?" Ginny asked, drawing her wand. She approached Bill first, who watched her with a slight apprehension and resisted a little before he allowed her to pull the bedsheet away.

"Who conjured the mark, dad?" Charlie asked, sitting down into the chair beside Hermione's.

Mr. Weasley told them what had happened in the forest, even their unveiling Mr. Crouch's deep secrets, while Ginny cleaned Bill's wound with a blue potion which she dabbed onto Bill's wound with a piece of cotton, causing him to hiss in pain. She glared at him.

"Don't try to fool me. You've been through worse than this," she told him firmly and jabbed his arm with her wand.

"Ever thought of becoming a healer, Ginny? Would be a good choice of carreer when married to the Boy-Who-Always-Finds-Danger," Fred teased.

"Harry and I are going to be star players for England, and I'm not having two jobs, she said, very seriously.

After Ginny was done with both Percy and Bill, she began to check Harry all over for damages, and once she was satisfied, let him cast a patronus to check if Sirius and Remus were alright.

"I swear you are worse than Madam Pomfrey," Harry said and waved his wand. The eagle appeared and vanished with the message.

Ginny just glared at him. Soon after, Harry and Ginny brought Dobby and Hermione back to the tent, where they slept until the next morning. By the time they had packed and were ready to leave, Dobby had woken.

"Harry Potter sir!" he squeaked. His voice was tired and worn, far below its usual strength.

Harry turned around from where he was putting pots and pans in order in the cupboards. "Oh, hello, Dobby. How do you feel?"

"Dobby is great, sir! Where is I?" Dobby asked.

"You're in mine and Ginny's tent. We found you very ill yesterday with Maculosus Albus. You know of it, don't you?" Harry asked and pulled out another bottle of potion from their potions bag.

"Yes… Harry Potter and his Wheezy saved Dobby's life! How can Dobby ever thank yous?" Dobby squeaked happily, beaming.

Harry smiled kindly at him. "Don't worry about it," Harry assured him. "No, don't get up yet." He was over by Dobby's side in a blink of an eye and pushed him back on the sofa. "You're not that strong yet. Here, drink this. It'll help you recover."

Hermione entered the room, stretching and yawning tiredly before rubbing her eyes. Then she caught sight of Dobby sitting up.

"Dobby! You're awake! How are you feeling?" she exclaimed, plopping down on the footrest beside the coffee table.

"I is feeling good. The great Harry Potter saved Dobby's life," Dobby said, beaming.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, Harry is great, isn't he? Much better than Mr. Crouch, at least. To think to force his elf to stay behind in the middle of danger, and to make her sit in that box when he knows she's afraid of heights!"

"Is you talking about Winky?" Dobby asked curiously, peering at Hermione with his large, tennisball-green eyes.

"Yes, I am! Mr. Crouch was going to sack her for just being at the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione said passionately.

Harry decided to let her rant, knowing that if he interfered, he'd get an earful from Hermione himself, and he didn't want that. Instead he headed out to see Ginny putting away the chairs that had been dragged outside. Beside their tent, the rest of the Weasleys and Neville were lagging behind, barely having poked outside yet.

"Hermione! Will you bring Dobby outside? We'll pack the tent now," Harry shouted, and soon after Hermione came out with a slightly dejected Dobby in her arms, chatting to him as if nothing was wrong.

"I'm sure you won't have to worry about finding a place to work. Harry will take you in, I'm certain," she said, "Oh, but I'm worried about Winky. Harry, what do you think will happen to her now?"

"Most likely given clothes. I told her before the final began that if she needed any help, she could just contact us. Although, I'm unsure of how she would. Perhaps she could do so just like Dobby; appear in my room?" Harry mused out loud as he packed the tent using magic. After last night, the muggles had to be obliviated anyway.

They all had to step by the Burrow to reassure Mrs. Weasley since she had already read the _Daily Prophet,_ and was waiting outside the Burrow with it in her hand when they approached.

"Oh, thank godness, thank godness!" she cried and threw herself at Mr. Weasley, who pulled her into a comforting hug. Her bedroom slippers fell off, but she didn't care. "Arthur – I've been so worried – _so worried_!"

She looked around with red eyes to make sure everyone were alright. Back inside Mr. Weasley studied the _Prophet_ more closely, finding that the main article, which was calling the event a national disgrace and a Ministry blunder, was written by some witch called Rita Skeeter.

"She's always cricitizing the Ministry of Magic in every article she writes," Percy said, "right rude of her!"

but Harry was surprised that he had somehow managed to make it in the newspaper as well:

HARRY POTTER CAPTURES DEATH EATERS AT THE WORLD CUP

was written below the picture of himself juggling the Death Eaters inside the sphere of magic that he had trapped the Death Eaters in. The Harry in the picture held an arm tightly around the unmistakable form of Ginny.

"Why was Ginny with you there, Harry?" Bill asked.

"That's really a stupid question for you, Bill," George said,

"Yeah, Ginny's with Harry wherever he is. On the loo – "

" – On the broom – "

" – In bed – "

" – At – "

"I get it!" Bill glared at them and picked up the paper to skim through the article. "Good thing this isn't one of Skeeter's works. Merlin knows what she'd make out of it."


	25. Return to Hogwarts

Harry felt relieved to be back at the Palace. Remus and Sirius, who had responded positive to his patronus, returned unharmed in the late morning. Every one of the Weasleys stayed at the Burrow, except for Hermione, who, after an argument with Percy about Crouch's treatment of Winky, decided to "stay with Harry and Ginny, who at least treat house-elves right!" She took it upon herself to make sure Dobby got back on his feet, although even she had to resort to asking Harry and Ginny about healing of house-elves. After a long row of questions, Harry told her to go and find a book at the library, claiming it was far better to explain spells and potions than him.

The twins were more often than not locked up in their room at the Palace, experimenting in inventing new pranks, if Harry's suspicions were right. They preferred to keep their inventing and inventions at the Palace, because Mrs. Weasley usually wasn't there to reprimand them for trying to make a joke shop. Harry and Ginny merely gave useful ideas and tips, which were far more welcome.

Ron, Ginny and Harry spent most of the day on a broom, testing out moves and tactics that they'd seen at the World Cup. However, today Harry and Ginny had taken a break from the lively, noisy Palace and headed for a walk outside the wards. They walked to Inxbury and bought school books for everyone; even Fred and George, who had given them their book lists. In addition they bought, several newly published books that they didn't have, like _A Home Amongst Wolves: An Objective Study of Werewolf Hierarchy and Living_ by Lupo McPratt, _The Secrets of the Ministry of Magic_ By Johanna Thorne and _Weeds You Don't Want To Throw Away_ by Elena Lawless. They also had to get dress robes for themselves, since it said so on in the Hogwarts letter for the coming year, although they had no idea why. Ginny had to get new underwear, since she'd grown in certain places, which left Harry waiting on the bench right outside along with another wizard who had preferred to stay outside and wait rather than to join his wife inside lingerie shopping.

The wizard was kind, but overly curious about how Harry had captured the Death Eaters, most of which were having a trial in a few days. Harry, reluctant to talk much about it, answered in short sentences, and was in a way relieved when a distraction made itself apparent as the form of Winky, who stared up at Harry with brown teary eyes filled with hope and desperation.

"I-I is sorry if I is i-intruding, sir," she began, hiccuping slightly between sobs, "but Harry Potter kindly said Winky could find him if she needed help, sir."

Harry covered up his worry and smiled at her. "Yes, of course, Winky. What can I do for you?"

"W-Winky has no master anymore, and she is not knowing what to do. Winky is wondering if she could be the great Harry Potter's house-elf?" she sniffled and dried her slightly swollen, red nose with the back of a thin hand.

"Are you certain, Winky?" Harry asked seriously, "are you certain that you want this, and not a different master?"

Winky shook her head so her ears flapped around her face. "I is not wanting no other master than Harry Potter!" she declared passionately.

 _Gin? Should I offer pay?_

 _No, I don't think it would have any use. She'd say no anyway. Remember what she said at the World Cup. Perhaps she's more willing to accept holidays?_ Ginny suggested.

"If you're absolutely sure, I can do that for you. Would you accept holidays? One day off a week or a week a month or something?" he asked.

Winky shook her head vehemently, "I is not wanting holidays, sir! It is not how house-elves do!"

"Well, if you change your mind, just tell me. Anyway, I think you will have to tell me how a house-elf and master bond is formed," said Harry.

"I will, sir! Is we waiting for someone?" Winky asked eagerly, all traces of tears and sobs gone.

"Yes; Ginny. She's in there buying some underwear," Harry explained.

 _I'll be out in a few minutes. I've got enough now,_ Ginny said, having heard the conversation.

Exactly two minutes later Ginny emerged through the door, which clinged as it banged shut. "Hello, Winky. What brings you to this end of the country?" she asked, trying to act surprised.

"I is being Harry Potter's new house-elf," Winky said importantly, reminding Ginny slightly of Percy.

"Oh, really? Has he offered you any holidays then? It wouldn't be kind of us to take on anyone to work for us without offering payment and holidays," Ginny said skilfully.

"Winky is not wanting pay, and not holidays too," she said firmly.

"I don't want to argue with you, Winky, if that's truly not what you want, but are you absolutely certain?" Ginny asked.

"I is certain!"

"Alright, then! I think we better head back home." Taking Harry's hand, she lead the way back towards the Palace along the narrow path.

Winky trotted along behind them, peering out from Harry's left side in hopes of catching a glimpse of her new home.

 _Those are honest emotions, and not someone asking her to spy on us, right?_ Harry asked, glancing at Ginny, who threw a glance at Winky and nodded.

 _Very much so._

They reached the edge of the wards within half an hour of walking, and Harry bent to inform Winky of its location, so she was able to enter the wards.

"Is I doing the bonding right now, sir?" Winky asked.

"Oh, yeah, I suppose," Harry said hesitantly and watched as Winky reached up to take Harry's hand. There was a sudden spike of pain, which caused him to startle. Winky looked at him apologetically, but then let go of his hand and beamed happily.

"Alright, now that's done," Harry began and sat down on a bench that he and Ginny had placed near the stream in the forest for some private time, "will you please sit down here, Winky? We need to set some ground rules."

Winky looked very shocked, but clambered onto the bench and sat down, watching Harry with wonder as he took Ginny on his lap. Ginny pulled out her handbag and pulled an inkwell, some parchment and a quill and started scribbling: "Rules for Winky".

"Number one; you may not hurt yourself on purpose," Harry said, paying attention to his words. He had understood from Sirius how literary house-elves might need it, and any loopholes they could find, were likely to be used. "that counts even if you do something that you consider disobedience."

"Number two," Ginny continued, "you may not talk about anything that could give away any clue about Harry and I being soulbound to anyone outside my brothers and parents, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Professors Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape, Madam Pomfrey, Harry or myself unless Harry or I allow you to. And you are not allowed to talk about family business outside of our family – that is Harry and myself, unless we say otherwise."

"Number three: all of our friends should be treated kindly, no matter of wealth, social rank or blood status. The word 'Mudblood' is strictly prohibited in our home," Harry went on, "Number four, and last: if you feel that you've been disobedient, you are to come and talk to us. You have our word that we will not punish you with violence or clothes unless you expressly wish to be freed, at which point we expect to be informed. If we ever find a reason for us to give you clothes, you will get two warnings before given clothes."

They paused and watched Winky, who looked back with big eyes, sucking in every word. "Have you understood everything, Winky?" Harry asked.

Winky nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Master!"

"Any questions?"

"No, Master!" Winky said.

"Alright, then," Harry said, pushing gently at Ginny's hips to get her to stand.

Like expected, Hermione was fiercely passionate about Harry's decision about taking Winky as his house-elf. Harry had to firmly tell her once again that the elves had a different view on the world, like a wizard and a muggle; how a muggle couldn't possibly understand how to use magic worked the same way as the fact that humans didn't have a chance to understand why house-elves were the way they were. One just had to accept them for what they were, and still treat them respectfully.

Sirius, who was used to Kreacher, watched Winky critically, but said nothing, whereas Remus greeted her kindly and presented himself. Ron was most interested in asking whether Winky cooked as well as Ginny or his mother, whereas Neville and the twins seemed nonchalant to the matter.

After giving Winky a tour of the Palace(which left her wide-eyed and squeaking excitedly), Ginny told her to pick a room of her choosing to sleep in. They pointed out the ones occupied; Harry and Ginny's, Sirius and Remus' rooms, and the ones that Hermione, Neville and the Weasleys used when they were visiting.

Winky went straight back to the corridor outside Harry and Ginny's bedroom, where a large window showing the main garden and the evening sunset, and crawled inside the wardrobe that was placed right outside their bedroom to Harry and Ginny's great surprise.

"Winky, you don't have to sleep in the wardrobe!" Harry exclaimed, horrified. He had heard stories about Kreacher sleeping in the cupboard in the kitchen at 12 Grimmauld Place, and found it appalling to force someone to sleep in a cupboard. Not that a wardrobe was much better.

"Winky likes it here!" Winky declared as she walked from side to side inside the cupboard. It allowed her to take four steps, no more.

"Why would you want to sleep in a wardrobe?" Ginny asked. "There are plenty of other rooms for you to sleep in."

"I is wanting to be close to my new Master and Mistress, because I is not wanting to be a disgrace to the Potter family also, who kindly took me when I had disgraced Master Barty – "

She seemed to disappear into her memories and began wailing in distress. Harry and Ginny exchanged a look before Harry resolutely knelt before Winky, who had sunk down inside the wardrobe.

"Winky, listen. If Mr. Crouch chose to free you, it is his loss, because I saw the length you were willing to go to obey him. I'll tell you that if I were afraid of heights, I might too have struggled up there in the top box," Harry told her, and she stared back with eyes wide with disbelief. "Now, if you if you change your mind, and want to find a different place to sleep, then please do so, but do inform us if you do." He then lifted his arm to look at his watch. He had found it amongst Dudley's old, discarded things, and taken to use it rather than having it wasted.

 _Dinnertime?_ Ginny asked.

 _Yep._

They walked back down to the kitchen, leaving Winky behind to get comfortable in her wardrobe. They found Remus in the kitchen with a cup of coffee.

"How is she settling in?" he asked when they entered.

Harry smiled in amusement. "You know that old wardrobe with lionfeet by our bedroom?" Remus nodded. "Of all the rooms in the Palace, she chose that as her place to sleep in. It's like she has an aversion against sleeping in beds."

"She probably isn't used to sleep in beds. I doubt Mr. Crouch offered her a bed to sleep in," Remus said and watched as they began cooking an Indian curry. "Although, it is the first time that I see a family with brand new house-elf cook their own dinner."

Ginny glanced at him. "Well, we enjoy cooking. We aren't going to stop just because we have a house-elf," she said.

"And what will the job for your elf be?" Remus asked, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look. "Well… whatever we need her for." As of yet Dobby had also tried to help in their home, but Ginny had firmly told him not to, as he wasn't strong enough for that yet.

Just as Ginny was dropping the chicken into the sauce pot Dobby came into the kitchen. He was considerably more subdued than usual, a clear sign of his lack of energy.

"Oh! Hi, Dobby! How do you feel?" Ginny asked.

"Dobby is feeling much better, Mrs. Potter!" he squeaked and moved over to the counter.

"Have you met Winky yet?"

Dobby's head turned sharply as he looked at her. "Winky is here?" he squeaked, surprised.

"Yes. She wanted to stay with us," Ginny said and watched with wonder as Dobby's ears sagged disappointedly.

"Then Dobby will leave. The great Harry Potter has no use for two house-elves," Dobby sighed sadly and shuffled sadly towards the stairs with hunched shoulders.

"But Dobby, I thought you wanted to leave? To find a job?" Ginny asked, surprised. She cleaned her hands and bent to check on the vegetable pie.

"To find a job, yes!" Dobby said, and then started to wring his hands nervously. "Dobby is hoping that he can apply for a job here at Harry Potter's house?"

"What? How do you mean?" Harry inquired, confused. "You mean like an employee, or the traditional house-elf way?"

"Harry, that's not even a question with Dobby," Ginny said.

"Why shouldn't it? If he wants to, he could have the same deal as Winky. She too was offered pay and holidays," Harry said. He pulled out a stack of plates, and placed the glasses on a tray to bring out later. "So what did you have in mind, Dobby?"

"I will be liking to be Mister Harry Potter's house-elf, sir! Dobby is liking that very much, sir!" Dobby squeaked happily, and bounced on the tips of his toes.

"Alright, so do you want the weekends off or something?" Harry suggested.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Dobby shook his head so his great ears flapped about his face, "no, it is way too much! Dobby likes freedom, but he likes work more. And he wants to wear clothes and have pay too!"

"You make strong demands, Dobby," Harry said mock seriously. "Alright. How about one day off a week? And ten galleons a week?"

"I is accepting one galleon a week and one day off every month. No more!" Dobby said firmly, crossing his arms. The sight made Harry bite back a laugh.

"I think we can manage that, or what, Ginny?" Harry looked at Ginny with amusement.

She nodded. "And on that day off, you may go wherever you want to go, as long as it doesn't break any of the rules." She pulled out the list of rules that she had made for Winky and let him read it. "Is that alright with you?"

Dobby read through it quickly, and then nodded.

"I will add one point about your payment, holidays and freedom, so we all can be one hundred percent certain," Ginny said and copied it before quickly writing down another rule and changing the name on the top from Winky to Dobby. "There you go." Using a sticking charm, she attached it to the wall below the noteboard that was concealed behind the door to the kitchen. It was separated into four parts; one for each member of the household. She now enlarged it a little and added two more parts for Dobby and Winky, the former of which looked very pleased with this and took Harry's hand resolutely.

Just like with Winky, Harry felt the same spike of pain for only a short moment before Dobby let go.

"Now, you are still ill, so you are not to do any work until I say so," Ginny said firmly, just as Hermione entered the room.

Dobby looked disappointed, but nodded and walked off.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked, watching Dobby's retreating back with confusion.

"Dobby wanted to work here. I offered him payment and holidays, don't worry," Harry assured her when she opened her mouth to speak, "but he wouldn't take more than one day off a month, and no more than a galleon a week. As per now, he's still on sick leave. Healer's orders." He threw a teasing look at Ginny, who stuck her tongue out.

Hermione bent to study the rules that Harry and Ginny had made out, and smiled with satisfacion when she saw the two areas on the board named 'Dobby' and 'Winky'.

"I think you handled it very well, Harry," Remus said, emptying his cup of coffee. He then stood and moved over to the kitchen counter, where he picked up the dinner plates. "I'm impressed at how you managed to keep both house-elves and Hermione happy," he said, raising a brow at Hermione's puzzled expression.

Winky reappeared after half an hour, when they were all eating dinner. Ginny offered her a seat beside Dobby, who was eating a piece of pie with great enthusiasm. Winky protested, but Harry and Ginny told her that now that she was a part of the family, she was expected to eat dinner with them. Having previously worn a small blouse and a skirt, Winky had now settled herself into an old piece of shredded curtains in blue velvet that had been everywhere when Harry and Ginny moved in, but quickly thrown away into the linens cupboard on third floor, stowed away in boxes in case there would be use for it. It had been something that Ginny had pressed through, being used to keep all sorts of stuff just in case, and Harry, who had wanted to trash it, had been forced to cave in.

"You _can_ wear those pretty clothes you wore earlier if you want to," Ginny told Winky gently.

"I is not wearing clothes! I is a proper house-elf, and proper house-elves is not wearing clothes!" she declared adamantly and glared at Dobby, who was still wearing his odd assortment of mismatched socks, children's sports shorts and a tie on a naked chest.

"Alright," Ginny receded, shrugging. "But I will sew some better clothes for you, Dobby." This she wasn't budging on, and Dobby didn't seem to mind, as long as he got to keep his socks, which he could.

Aside from the heated glares sent by Winky to Dobby, the meal progressed cheerfully. Sirius was unnaturally mute, observing Harry and Ginny closely. Remus and Hermione made an effort to talk to the elves, while Fred, George, Neville and Ron were busy discussing other things. Neville was trying to convince Fred and George to use essence of Dragonsong in their pranks, and Ron was more or less talking to himself about keeper tactics that he'd seen Connolly use against one of the Bulgarian Chasers at the World Cup. Percy was as usual absent, which had been the case during dinner every day since the World Cup. According to him and Mr. Weasley, the Ministry was in chaos from all the complaints sent in concerning lack of security. Skeeter's articles didn't help the least, and every morning after such an article, Percy was much later than usual.

After dinner, Winky and Dobby only barely got to bring all the dishes indoors before Ginny used the washing up-charm to do the dishes. With the cleaning charms that Harry and Ginny used, the frequent gardening and interest in cooking, there wasn't that much left for the two elves to do. Dobby, who was not given permission to work before the week before September 1st, had found his sleeping spot in the top drawer of a chest of drawers a little further down the corridor from Winky's wardrobe. Harry greatly suspected this was to know when Harry and Ginny got up every morning, and then be able to cook breakfast before he and Ginny managed to get to the kitchen and do it themselves. However, usually that didn't work, because Ginny, who hated waking people in the mornings when they got up, had placed time-specific silencing charms on the wardrobe and the the chest of drawers.

After a while Harry managed figure out why Sirius was acting so strangely near the elves.

"I see the way that they adore you and Ginny, and you have their outmost loyalty. And I see how you treat them to achieve it," Sirius said, sighing a little as he stared into his cup of tea. "I never treated Kreacher with any sort of respect, because he was loyal to my mother and the rest of the Blacks, who I detested. I know I've been slow to realize it, but I know not that it's my own fault that he's mean and disloyal to me."

Harry nodded slowly, his fingers playing with his wand, which he'd just used to repair the hinges on a door. "Loyalty doesn't come automatically," Harry agreed. "Not even with house-elves." He paused and watched Sirius contemplatingly. "So what are you going to do with him now?"

"I won't ask him over here, if that's what you're worrying about," Sirius assured him.

"No, that's not it. Even if you did, he couldn't tell where in the world he is. He'd just be going to his Master, not to a location known in his mind. The spells work that way. You can call him over if you want to. So rest assured that your dear cousin Narcissa won't find you and murder you in your sleep. Not that I think she's coldhearted enough for it. Her sister, however…" Harry mused, earning a wry sile from Sirius.

"Don't mention that monster," Sirius growled, "I'd bet you anything that if given the chance, Kreacher would tattle on to Narcissa. Thank Merlin Bella is behind locks! Couldn't think of anyone more deserving – except for Voldemort himself," he said passionately.

"Well, now that you know, there's nothing stopping you from making amends with Kreacher. I don't know how much you can change his attitude, since he's lived with the Blacks his whole life," Harry told him.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Just like last summer, Triomphe disappeared shortly before Harry and Ginny went to London. On that particular morning, Hermione and Neville would be flooing from the Burrow with the Weasleys, so they had spent the night there. Sirius and Remus accompanied them to London half an hour before departure.

"Remember to write. Hedwig is going fat from lack of exercise," Sirius tactlessly pointed out, causing Hedwig to hoot indignantly in return and turn her back towards him.

"Don't listen to him," Ginny cooed and rubbed her feathery chest with a finger poking between the bars of Hedwig's cage, "he's just a mongrel full of fleas. I can't believe that we forgot to bathe him!" she shook her head in mock frustration, while Sirius looked positively horrified.

"We'll just do it for Christmas, Gin," Harry said, grinning widely. "I know of a shop in Diagon Alley that sells dog shine potions."

"That's still months away!" Sirius said and waved his hand dismissively.

Remus just smiled and shooed Harry and Ginny on the train. "Don't let Dumbledore get to you, Ginny, and both of you be on guard. Talk to Snape. See if his Mark is still inactive. It'll be the clue that we need," he spoke lowly, hugging both of them. "Take care of each other."

"You too. And Remus, please do go out and do something fun for a change," Ginny said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before climbing aboard the train with Harry, leaving Remus behind, puzzled.

Knowing that less people would trespass there, they found an empty compartment at the rear end of the train. Harry settled in the seat nearest the window, and Ginny found her place in the seat beside him, leaning against his shoulder. The touch made pleasant tingling spread through his body. It was a sensation he never tired of. He pulled out their new book _A Home Amongst Wolves: An Objective Study of Werewolf Hierarchy and Living_ and began to read. Ginny let her eyes drift close and listened as he read the book in his mind.

They were startled from their reading when the door slid open. Ron's brilliantly beaming face appeared. He dragged his trunk inside and shoved up it on the luggage rack.

"Hi, mate! Looking forward to a new season of Quidditch?"

"You bet! After all the practicing, Malfoy won't stand a chance at the Snitch. Not Diggory either, and he's ten times Malfoy's talent!"

"Yeah! You're going to try out too, right, Ginny?" Ron asked, dumping down in a seat before flinging his legs up to rest on Harry's knee.

"Of course! Hi, Hermione!" Ginny smiled at her.

"Hello! Have you any clue of who the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher will be? I looked through the whole train in case they were on the train, like Remus had, but there were no adults except for the trolley witch and the driver," she said, levitating her trunk up beside Ron's before taking the seat across of Ginny.

"It's unlikely that whoever it is is on the train," Ginny said matter-of-factly, and beamed at Neville, who entered the compartment. He, like Hermione, used his wand, that Harry had insisted on buying for him for his birthday in July to levitate his trunk up to the luggage rack.

The compartment soon fell into silence, waiting for the train to leave. Harry and Ginny returned to their book, Hermione to her own _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4_ and tried to get a proper hang on the summoning charm. Ron and Neville discussed the Quidditch World Cup rather passionately, Ron showing off his Krum figure over and over.

"Excuse me." A voice from the door had everyone look up. A girl peered in at them. She had waist-length straggly dirty-blonde hair and protuberant eyes that gave her a constantly surprised look. More oddly, however, she wore her wand behind her ear for safekeeping and a necklace made of Butterbeer corks around her neck. Harry thought she gave off an air of distinct dottiness; not even Professor Trelawney looked as odd as she. Nonetheless, he recognized her instantly from Ginny's classes; a Ravenclaw by name Luna Lovegood.

"May I sit here?" she asked.

"Of course!" Hermione said, nudging a gaping Ron sharply with her elbow.

Neville merely looked away, a pink tinge to his cheeks as Luna sat down in the chair beside Hermione. Harry merely smiled at her and wrapped his arms around Ginny as she settled on his lap.

"How was your holiday, Luna?" Ginny asked politely.

"It was alright," Luna said.

"Were you at the World Cup?"

Luna shook her head. "No. Daddy and I were searching for Blibbering Humdingers in Wales. We didn't find any, but it was still fun. We were hot on the trail of at least one," she told Ginny, who suppressed a laugh.

"That's a pity. Better luck next time," Ginny said casually. Hermione looked at Luna with disbelief.

"There are no such thing as Blibbering Humdingers," Hermione said firmly, "I've never read a single book in all of Potter Palace that even mention that name!"

"Just because _we'_ ve never heard of it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist, Hermione," Harry said, not looking up from his book. "You hadn't heard about Dementors before you began at Hogwarts either. You just have to look at the right place."

Luna beamed at him happily, and pulled out a magazine called _The Quibbler_ and began reading. Hermione, who had obviously heard of _the Quibbler_ before, was very vocal about her dislike of the magazine.

"Hermione, would you stop?" Neville interrupted one of her arguments, "let her read it if she wants to. It's her business. You stick to your _Transfiguration Today_ and _Magizoology of House Creatures_. If you ask nicely, I'll even let you borrow _The Herbologist_ , which I receive monthly, but you don't find us picking on you for reading them, even though we might not all agree with what they publish?"

Hermione threw him a dejected look before returning her attention to Luna. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It's alright. I'm used to it," Luna said with a dreamy smile.

"You shouldn't have to be," Harry pointed out before settling down to read with Ginny again.

At school they were met with the horrendous news that the Quidditch Cup was cancelled, causing havoc to arise amongst the Weasleys and the Potters.

"You can't bloody do that! My brother was going to become Keeper!" George shouted heatedly at Dumbledore.

"Now, now, Mr. Weasley; your brother will only have another year to practice, and have an even better chance next year," Dumbledore said jovially. "As I was saying, the Quidditch Cup will not happen due to something very special that will take place at Hogwarts this year. It is my great pleasure to announce that – "

Dumbledore was interrupted by a roaring thunder, and a bang as the doors to the Great Halls slammed open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning against a long staff due to one wooden leg. He was shrouded in a dark travel cloak. As he lowered his hood, Harry caught sight of a gnarled and scarred face, as though a child with no idea about how a face should look, had carved it out of wood. A long mane of grizzled, grey hair fell free from the hood, but the most frightening sight was his eyes. One was small, dark and beady, looking around suspiciously, whereas the other was large and round as a coin, spinning in its socket, and even pointed straight into the man's skull.

Harry watched him with narrowed eyes as the stranger moved up to greet Dumbledore. At first sight, he looked to be a man that had lived through the last war's front rows and taken the brunt of the attacks, but Harry saw what was underneath. Ginny stiffened beside him, her hand clutching his tightly.

The magic of the man was oddly familiar, but Harry was unable to place it – that was until he saw the magic he recognized as the Dark Mark hidden behind a disguising type of magic, which Ginny suggested to be Polyjuice potion.

 _Crouch Jr!_ he hissed to Ginny, who met his gaze with her own, alarmed.

 _Oh hell!_ She glanced at Dumbledore, _I don't think he knows. Harry, you have to find out why he's here, and why he's disguised as that man!_

She hadn't needed to ask. Confident that he could investigate without being noticed, he entered Crouch's mind and started his search while Ginny watched "Professor Moody" being introduced, and Ron, Hermione and Neville discussing Mr. Weasley's going to help Moody, who had claimed to have had a break-in in his house.

 _I'll bet you anything that Crouch Jr. did that,_ Ginny muttered sourly, hiding an expression of extreme disgust. Then she watched the memories and thoughts that Harry skimmed through.

He hadn't needed to dig deep to find what he needed to find. Right there, in front of them, was the Death Eater who was the key to Voldemort's resurrection. Harry could see the whole plan as clear as day, and everything revolved around the Triwizard Tournament, which was apparently to be held at Hogwarts this year.

 _I'd rather kill him before I let him hand you to Tom_ , Ginny growled angrily, clutching Harry's hand possessively.

 _I think we should tell Dumbledore, despite everything. He's the Headmaster after all,_ Harry replied.

They could only watch with silent impatience as Dumbledore presented the Triwizard Tournament for the school, who immediately began buzzing with excitement.

 _Try to find out if he knows anything about Voldemort's last Horcrux,_ Ginny urged, and Harry prepared himself for a deep dive into Crouch's mind.

In the meantime the feast was served, and Hermione, and to a lesser degree Neville and Ron, started to realize that something was up with Harry and his distant look. However, with Nearly Headless Nick talking about Peeves scaring the house-elves in the kitchen, Hermione became busy trying to convince everyone within earshot about the cruelty shown to the elves, while Ron and Neville leaned over to speak to them.

"Who is it, Harry?" Neville whispered, "what's going on?"

"Not now," Ginny waved them off, not wanting to break Harry's concentration.

Then, suddenly Harry straightened, smiling with relief at Ginny. _The snake. His pet snake is the last Horcrux, Ginny. Crouch knows how important it is to Riddle, and… Riddle's way of addressing the murder of Bertha Jorkins and the snake clearly indicates that there's something very special with that snake. We'll have to get close to Voldemort himself. He keeps it close all the time. Wormtail is with him too; he uses its venom to make a potion to keep Voldemort alive,_ he explained, showing Ginny his discoveries.

She wrinkled his nose at seeing Voldemort's less than human form and Wormtail's face. _That little traitor!_ She snarled hatefully, her knuckles turning white around her fork.

 _I know, love,_ Harry replied and gently caressed her hand, causing her to loosen her grip.

 _Harry?_ She asked after a long while. _How are we supposed to get close enough to Voldemort to kill his snake? Can we tempt it away from him?_

 _Not very likely,_ Harry said. _I can't see how. We can't easily monitor the Riddle house, can we? Not without Crouch getting suspicious about our absence._

 _No. And we can't quit the school._ There was another long silence. _It's a possibility, but I definitely don't like Tom being near enough to kill you._

 _We could kill him in the process if I go through with Crouch's plan,_ Harry said, causing Ginny to spin her head to look at him with a worried look.

For a few seconds she looked at him with contemplation. _Just… Just kill him before he kills you._

 _I'll do my best, Gin._

 _Do you want me to apparate with you? To the graveyard, I mean?_ Ginny asked, turning her attention to her meal.

 _You know what I'd say, but if that's truly what you want to, I'd just have to trust you to take care of yourself, don't I?_ he offered her a faint smile.

She beamed at him and leaned over to give him a brilliant smooch on the lips. _Maybe it's best we don't tell Dumbledore after all. He'd muck it up._

Harry could only agree.

Their friends, even Ron, were so used to it that they didn't blink, but the newly sorted first years stared at them with giggles or disgusted faces, obviously too young to have any interest in it. The meal went on, but neither Harry nor Ginny paid much attention to what happened around them, except for Crouch's every word and move. He was, however, playing his role very well. To be absolutely certain, Harry kept a window to Crouch's mind open at all times, and really couldn't wait to leave the Great Hall.

 _I'm going to ward the whole Gryffindor Tower against Crouch,_ Harry said determinedly as he strode out of the Great Hall with Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Neville hot on his heels.

They trailed the halls wordlessly until they reached the Fat Lady's portrait, following the flow of students through the portrait hole and up the boys' staircase to the Tapestry of the Traveller and the Will-o'-the-wisps. The twins caught up with them by the portrait hole.

"What's going on?" Fred asked. Their mirroring frowns revealed their knowledge that something was not right.

Harry just waved them along and shut the door behind the tapestry firmly before placing a hand on the walls. "Hogwarts, I ask you to protect this room against eavesdroppers and unwanted visitors. If anyone approaches, I want to know," Harry ordered, pushing a little bit of his magic into the castle.

A second later the walls shimmered with magic as Hogwarts adapted to his request. He nodded in satisfaction and sat down in an armchair.

"Speak," said George. Harry saw five impatient looks aimed at him and Ginny, who settled on the armrest.

"Moody isn't Moody. He's Crouch Jr. with polyjuice potion," he said bluntly.

"But… but I thought Dumbledore would take proper safety measures – " Hermione began, but Neville interrupted.

"By letting in a professor with You-Know-Who sticking out of his head, a three-headed dog, a huge basilisk and Lockhart? Not to mention ignoring a murderer hiding inside the castle for many months?" he raised a brow at her, and Hermione deflated a little.

"Oh. That's a good point, I guess," she admitted, "but Harry, you should tell Dumbledore, or at least Professor McGonagall."

"No. No, wait – listen. I read Crouch's mind. He knows about the last Horcrux. Or at least, that is what I think it is, according to what I saw of Tom's interaction with his pet snake," Harry said.

"He made his snake a Horcrux?" Ron gaped.

"Yes, I'm sure he did. But we won't tell Dumbledore, because Crouch might be our clue to the end of this all." Then he told them about everything he'd found in Crouch's mind. About what he'd seen of Voldemort's less than human form, the plan about the Triwizard Tournament, how to get Harry safely through the Tournament's dragon task, underwater task, and to get the Triwizard Cup first deep within a maze filled with deadly creatures, and the plan to get him to the graveyard to resurrect Voldemort.

"Is that really the only way? Does he have to be resurrected before you kill him?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure. I think he'd just drift off as a spirit again if I do that, so I have to get the snake first. Finding him at the Riddle house would be even worse than waiting for the graveyard. If any of you have any other idea of how to get both Tom and the snake, then please tell me," Harry said.

"So you're just going with the plan? Shouldn't you contact Sirius and Remus first? Perhaps they've got some ideas of what to do?" Neville asked. He'd grown tired, so he was already standing with his toothbrush in the middle of Harry and Ginny's living room.

"Good idea, Nev. I'll write them tomorrow," Harry said.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Hermione said and stood. "Good night."

"Good night," Harry, Ginny, Ron and Neville chorused. Fred and George bounced after Hermione out through the door.

Once alone in their bedroom, Harry used his wand and placed some advanced, selective security charms around the whole of Gryffindor Tower, specifically aimed towards Crouch jr.'s magical signature. Then, after brushing his teeth, he undressed until his boxers and crawled into bed where Ginny was already waiting, a brilliant smile on her face, and a loving kiss waiting for him. Naked chests touching for the pleasure of physical contact, they fell asleep within minutes.


	26. Werewolves and a Madman

Malfoy had until now been practically non-existent for Harry in their fourth year at Hogwarts. He hadn't even appeared in their compartment on the train for his usual greeting. Thus, it was kind of a surprise when he started to pick on Ron and Ginny's dad, who was mentioned in Skeeter's latest scandalous article about him putting the Ministry into an awkward situation by following Moody's false alarm on the break-in. Harry was caught by surprise when Crouch appeared and transfigured Malfoy into a ferret and questioning Harry whether he was hit. The sight of Malfoy being juggled in ferret was not something he would forget anytime soon.

"I don't like people attacking others when their back is turned!" 'Moody' growled as he let Malfoy float up and down in the air.

Harry raised a brow. There was no doubt Crouch was doing a very good impression, but Harry wasn't sure whether the real Mad-Eye Moody would transfigure a student just for bullying.

"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall's shrill voice echoed in the Entrance Hall. Harry turned to see her on top of the marble staircase. "What – what are you doing?" she demanded, her eyes following the ferret up and down.

"Teaching," Moody said calmly.

"Teach – is that a student?"

"Yep," Moody said unconcernedly.

McGonagall whipped out her wand as she ran down the staircase towards them. She waved it at the ferret, which turned back into Malfoy with a loud snapping noise. He landed sprawling on the floor, his usually well-groomed hair falling wildly around his face, and his cheeks pink with humiliation.

"Professor Moody, we _never_ use transfiguration as punishment!" Professor McGonagall said sternly, "hasn't Dumbledore told you?"

"He might've mentioned it," Moody said, scratching his cheek calmly, "but I thought a sharp shock – "

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House," she informed him.

"I'll do that, then," he said and watched her walk away.

Malfoy was still sitting on the floor muttering darkly about something involving his father.

"Oh yeah?" Moody said quietly, limping over to Malfoy, "I know your father of old boy… You tell him that Moody's keeping an eye on his son… you tell him that from me… your house's Snape's house, isn't it?"

Malfoy nodded mutely.

"Another old friend I'd be delighted to share a word with!" Moody said and stomped away, the clunks of his wooden leg echoing in the hallways as he disappeared. The crowd around then dispersed, and even Crabbe and Goyle didn't stay around for very long when Harry approached Malfoy with confident steps. Malfoy's grey eyes snapped up at Harry's face, which displayed every ounce of anger that Harry possessed for him. His cheeks lost the little colour that he had achieved in his embarrassment, and he backed away quickly, scooting across the floor. Harry followed.

"You don't get the point, do you, Malfoy? Both you and your father were trembling with fear at the World Cup. What's now? Suddenly think you're so brave? You listen, and you listen well, because I will tell you only once. Bullying my friends, my family or my friends' families is not going to win you in with me, Malfoy, in case you're so dim-witted that you haven't realized it yet," Harry said softly, watching as Malfoy eyed the small flashes of coloured magic that appeared around them, and then looked back at Harry with surprise.

"H-How do you – "

"I know, Malfoy. I know of you and your father's scheme. Not so great a man after all, is he? Running away from his old master with his tail between his legs? Then again, Slytherins aren't known for courage," Harry said slyly, observing with a smile how Malfoy's cheeks once again flushed. "What you are know for, though, is narrowmindedness and arrogance. Tell your father that I will not let any filthy pureblood racists on my side!"

Then he turned around and strode up the marble staircase for lunch, leaving behind Malfoy shaking in fear by the wall.

The first class with Moody was tense for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville, now that they knew who Moody really was. It became difficult for them to play ignorant, but it didn't seem as though Crouch noticed. They were lectured in the Unforgivable Curses, and Crouch began the class by demonstrating them all on spiders, to Ron's horror. Neville looked both pale and sick when Moody demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse. Harry knew why. Neville had told them about his parents fate after the World Cup and their confrontation of Mr. Crouch, and Harry knew that Crouch enjoyed doing it; the glee of seeing the son of those he once tormented into insanity hurting, at least indirectly, by the same spell. Harry's blow to the stomach came by watching Crouch using the Killing Curse.

And afterwards an apprehensive Neville was pulled back to Moody's office. He later told Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron about the book he'd gotten. _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean._

"Why would he give you that?" Hermione asked confusedly, leaning over to peer at the book.

"He said it was because he'd heard from Professor Sprout about my… err… aptitude in Herbology," Neville said hesitantly, "although I rather think this is not it. Harry, you told us about the second task, didn't you? In the Great Lake for an hour?"

Harry nodded, wondering where this was going at.

"Well, you've got to be able to hold your breath or something for an hour, don't you?"

"Gillyweed!" Ginny exclaimed suddenly, pointing at the book.

"Yes, that's what I thought too," Neville said, smiling.

"For those of us not so knowledgeable…" Ron urged, looking hopefully from Ginny to Neville to Hermione.

"Gillyweed is a magical Mediterranean seaweed that allows you to breathe under water for about an hour, though there's a slight debate on that," Neville said. "Harry and Ginny already has this book. I've read it twice. It's really one of the better ones when coming to magical aquatic plants," he explained to Hermione's questioning look.

"Oh. I haven't gotten to the Herbology section yet," Hermione admitted.

"Only because you insist on reading every book twice," Ron muttered under his breath.

She shot him a glare, which he ignored completely.

The next Tuesday Harry was met by a very enthusiastic Hermione when he reached the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, waving the _Daily Prophet_ excitedly, "It worked! The safe areas are open!"

"Huh?" Harry sat down and looked at her confusedly.

She shoved the paper into his face, so he had to push it away to be able to see. A large picture of some enormous gates covered the front page. Inside were hooded people, talking and apparently waiting for something.

WEREWOLF SAFE AREAS OPEN

Harry immediately took the paper out of her hands and begun reading.

 _For the last few weeks the Ministry of Magic has been working on a project pushed through following the acceptance of the Werewolf Safety Act with the Wizengamot a month ago. For a long time the Ministry has been under pressure from the public to do something about the increasing numbers of Werewolf attacks. Finally, to the credit of two young bright minds whose names have been requested to remain anonymous, a safe haven for Werewolves was opened last night, in time for yesterday's full moon._

 _Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Atticus Moore has been in charge of the project._

 _"_ _It is supposed to be a place for werewolves to be safely confined during the full moon. The project does not only serve as a safety for the public. As any other victims of an illness, be it spattergroit or dragon pox, the suffering do not want to infect others as well. Within the wards and fences werewolves can safely transform, reassured that they will not unwittingly harm an innocent human being," he says and further explains that the wards are keyed into people with the illness lycanthropy. They will in addition be blocked totally from the moment the full moon rises until it disappears. Mr. Moore thus encourage all werewolves to get inside the wards before the full moon, because anyone that are not confined within a safe place during full moon, be it the official safe area, or a private space that are sufficiently warded, are breaking the Werewolf Safety Act, and may face a trial. Unless they have a very good explanation for their being outside of wards during full moon, they can be sentenced to a three years long stay in Azkaban._

 _Upon questioning, Mr. Moore says that last night's number of visitors of the safety area weren't very big, but that it was to be expected._

 _"_ _Naturally, with all the prejudice around, there is no question that the werewolves are hesitant to show up. We hope that as words spread of last night's success, more will take advantage of the safe areas," he says._

 _To make things clear, the journalist points out that the safety area is located at an old mansion's forest and grounds, a couple of miles east of Pencarreg, Wales. For those still hesitant, we would like to notify our readers that the visibility into the area is blocked, and no-one can be ousted as werewolf to the public, as the area is banned for the general public, for the matter of privacy and for safety._

 _"_ _I think it's really great," says an anonymous werewolf that the_ Daily Prophet _spoke to this morning, "I'm definitely going to spread the information."_

 _All the others that we have spoken to agree with our werewolf. One even states that "There should be at least one of these in every country with werewolves", while another claim that "It's the best thing that the Ministry has done in a long time."_

 _This may be the start of a less prejudiced and brighter future for all of us._

 _Corresponding journalist Robert Alcock._

"Awesome!" Harry said, feeling elated. "I wonder if Remus went."

"He'd be a little hesitant, wouldn't he?" Hermione said as she emptied her glass of pumpkin juice.

Harry scribbled a letter to Remus and tucked it in his bag to send with Hedwig after classes. Ginny leaned over and gave him a kiss before she ran off to get to Arithmancy in time, which had the four others hurrying out of the Great Hall for their Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

Crouch had barely checked off absent students before he called Harry up his desk. Feeling apprehensive, Harry slipped inside Crouch's mind to find out what he was up to. What he discovered put him even more on edge, and he drew his wand.

"Today I have been given special permission by Dumbledore to practice the Imperius Curse on you students, so you can experience how it feels and learn to counteract it. Now, Potter, according to Lupin you did well in this subject, so you will be first," Crouch said gruffly and raised his wand. "Impe – "

Harry reacted instinctively, blasting Crouch backwards so he hit the blackboard with a solid thud. "No! I won't have it!" he shouted, his hand shaking a little as he held it aimed against Crouch, who groaned as he pushed himself up from the floor.

"Well done, lad! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked and raised his wand again. "Again; Imperio!"

Once more, Harry was on the move before Crouch was done with the spell, throwing a rather nasty hex back, which was blocked, although the shield broke. Crouch returned with a conjunctivitis curse, which Harry blocked with a mirror shield which sent it straight back at Crouch, who blocked it.

"Oho! A duel, Potter?" Crouch challenged, grinning menacingly.

"Get the hell away from me!" Harry snapped angrily and retreated back towards his desk. However, Crouch didn't listen. He fired a bone-breaking hex towards Harry, causing the students near him to dive and dodge as it missed Harry by an inch and hit the chair that Neville had sat on less than a second ago. It filled Harry with anger. Putting his friends in danger was crossing the line.

In a flash, the room was filled with shifting air and uncontrolled magic roaming around, causing havoc. Harry managed to put up a large bluish transparent shield in front of the students, protecting them against any stray spells and then focussed all his attention at Crouch.

He fired stunners, Full Body Bind Curses, Freezing Charms and Severing Charms in quick succession, more or less trapping Crouch, who got desperate. His face turned redder and redder, and sweat started to break on his forehead within no time.

The other students peered nervously out from behind desks and chairs, and sat back up on their chairs when they realized that Harry's wards kept the stray spells out. After a minute there was a click as the door to the classroom opened. Crouch reacted to the sound by sending a spell towards Ginny, who entered. She had been in Transfiguration when she'd sensed his rage and magic going out of control. Professor McGonagall had fortunately heard her whisper "Harry" and let her run without a word. The spell hit the shield and was absorbed harmlessly. Crouch was visibly becoming more desperate, being visibly strained under the attacks of a fourth year who wasn't even doing his best. And then of course Crouch's anger at the kid who vanished his master once. Harry felt the man's horrible thirst for revenge. So he resorted to the Unforgivables.

Knowing that Ginny was in the room as well, Harry barricaded her with an extra layer of shields. If she was hurt because of him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself, and she knew it, so she accepted it. It didn't mean that she approved, only that she too wanted it, if not to avoid being hurt herself, but to avoid seeing Harry in psychic pain.

Harry heard Hermione shriek when the first Cruciatus Curse was fired from Crouch. It was widely known that there were no magical defences to the Unforgivables. But Harry being Harry, always did what should be impossible. Guided by his instincts, he erected a totally transparent shield that flashed mustard yellow at the impact of the spell before fading to the invisible barrier again.

Crouch tried again. The shield changed again, to the mirror shield that Harry had used before. The Cruciatus Curse made an invisible hit – and bounced straight back at Crouch, who collapsed on the floor, screaming in pain.

"Are you done?" Harry shouted furiously, his wand still raised, watching Crouch intently as he waited for the next move.

The curse lifted within seconds, and Crouch pushed himself up on his arms and peered at Harry, his normal beady eye filled with fury. His magical eye swirled until it found Ginny.

It happened in a flash; the beam of green light left Moody's wand and hurdled through the air towards Ginny. Students shouted and screamed. It impacted on Harry's shield with a loud bang and was blocked. It didn't even come near Ginny, who was located at the other end of the room.

Harry felt all his control shatter like glass. His magic unleashed to grab hold of everything nearby, but he barely noticed. His mind filled with a fog-like fury, his hands were shaking, and he couldn't think more than one thought; get rid of Crouch. He stepped forward and grabbed his robes. Later on Harry might've realized that magic had helped him a little when he lifted the Moody-imposter off the floor and flung him into the wall with a shout of outrage.

"Leave my wife alone, you good-for-nothing coward!" he roared. He was about to follow to beat Crouch up, but then a pair of small, familiar arms wrapped around his waist.

"Harry," Ginny's voice penetrated his cloudy mind, and his struggling stilled somewhat.

Her petite hands moved up to grasp his cheeks. "Harry, he didn't get to me. I'm unharmed, and so is everyone else. He isn't worth it, love. Come." She gently pulled him out of the classroom and smiled as she felt him calm down.

With Crouch out of eyesight, Ginny managed to calm him completely, and he was rewarded with a hug.

"I'm still furious at him, though, for trying to kill you."

"You should be," she agreed.

He bent down a little and kissed her, feeling her body arch against him as she stretched to reach him, who had grown quite a lot at his last growth spurt and towered over Ginny.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Transfiguration?" Harry asked.

"Well, I felt you losing control, so I ran to help you. And good thing I did, or you'd have killed the man we depend on to kill Tom," she replied lowly, pressing her lips against his once again.

Harry let himself get lost in her scent, getting slightly dizzy.

 _Harry…_ Ginny's voice penetrated the fog in his mind.

He managed to pull slighly away only to see the door to the classroom open and Terry Boot, Lisa Turpin and Anthony Goldstein staring at them. Apparently, the class had been dismissed, because once given a glare from Ginny they moved on down the corridor. Hermione, Ron and Neville soon emerged, throwing looks over their shoulders at Crouch, who Harry spotted through the open door, hobbling painfully over to his chair.

"Did you have to react so violently, Harry?" Hermione asked as she shut the door.

"By no chance in the world am I letting _him_ put an Imperius Curse on me!" Harry snarled.

"What are we going to do now, though?" Ron asked.

"Moody only thinks Harry misunderstood the order of fighting the curse," Ginny said, "and it was Moody himself who initiated the duel. Harry only beat him up because he tried to kill me."

"I should have killed him too," Harry grumbled, "one time is one too much; once this is done, he is going to be dead."

"Well, at least you got him wary of you," Ginny pointed out. "I've got to go back to Transfiguration."

"Alright. I'll be on the Quidditch Pitch. And if Professor McGonagall asks, just tell her about Crouch, alright?"

Ginny nodded and gave Harry a kiss before running off.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

The weeks passed until October. Hermione had taken Winky's case to the heart and started an organization to promote welfare for house-elves, and Harry and Ginny had decided to learn French in addition when they learned that one of the participating schools were French now that Quidditch practice didn't take as much of his free time as it did the last three years. Not that he didn't play at all; the remaining team still practiced a little, but Harry practiced even more with Ginny, Ron and Neville. Since they usually had only one keeper, the opposite goalposts were mostly open, and often not used.

One afternoon after classes they were in the middle of the game when Harry, who was mid dive at the moment, spotted Angelina, Alicia and Katie with Fred and George swaggering in tow.

"Nice dive, Potter!" Fred yelled as Harry pulled up, his feet skimming the grass before he spiralled away.

"Get on your brooms!" Ginny yelled, "we need some challenge!"

"Oi!" Ron shouted, "what am I? Malfoy?"

"Well, you don't exactly try to take the Quaffle mid-pitch!" Ginny called back.

Having Angelina, Alicia and Katie as opponents regularly, forced Ginny and Neville to their outmost. But them having trained together all summer worked miracles; Alicia, Angelina and Katie won their one-hour match, but only by fifty points, despite being one more player. Harry caught the Snitch, but with the deal being one hour of playing, he released it three times.

"That's just a school Snitch!" Angelina said when he told the others, "I'd bet you anything you'd use far more time catching an international standard Snitch, like the one at the World Cup."

"Well, I don't have one of those to practice with, so I wouldn't know, would I?" Harry said.

Mock matches with Alicia, Katie and Angelina happened every once in a while, but mostly, Harry, Ron and Ginny, and occasionally Neville, played for themselves. Ginny practicing with enchanted hurdles, and trying to get past Ron, and Harry doing more and more daring stunts on his Firebolt in attempt to catch the Snitch against an illusional competitor.

On an early day of October Harry and Ginny decided to tell Snape about the threat that "Moody" was. So it was in the evening, after dinner, that Harry knocked on the door to his office.

"Yes?" sounded an annoyed voice from inside.

Harry pushed the door open. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Professor, but we would like to inform you of something," Harry said.

Snape's brows shot up in interest. "Is that so? Come in, then, and close the door."

Harry and Ginny did as they were told, and added an Impertubable Charm in addition, for safe measure before they told him the whole story of how they had discovered that Moody was Crouch jr.

Snape was baffled. At first he held an uncharacteristically passionate monologue about how Dumbledore could've been fooled. Then he went on talking about what he wanted to do to Crouch himself, and stopped only when Ginny told him of the necessity to keep him alive and go through with his plan.

"It's the easiest way to get to Tom and his snake as we see it now. Attacking the Riddle house is foolhardy – not that this isn't, but it's our only option," she said.

"Of course." Snape nodded in agreement.

"And we were to ask from Remus how your Mark is right now?" Harry asked.

Snape answered by pulling back the sleeve to his left arm. "It is clearer now," he said, staring at a red version of the Dark Mark that looked as though it had been tattooed and faded over many years.

Harry and Ginny leaned over to see. "How will it look like when he's finally back?"

"Black. Jet black like ink."

Harry studied the Mark for a while. "I… I think I can remove it. If I manipulate my magic just right," he muttered.

Snape's jaw dropped, and he stared at Harry with eyes that showed the white all the way around the iris. "You – you cannot mean that! It is not possible!"

"There are no spells created to counteract it, sir," Harry began, "but it doesn't mean it's not possible to remove it."

The office was dead silent for another long time, except for the Pygmy Waterfuds, which blew bubbles in the water in their small tank every once in a while. Snape watched Harry contemplatingly, as if considering whether he was telling the truth or not.

"Then you must do so. Once the Dark Lord is dead," he said at last. "Your plan might be working, but it also might not. If it is not, I will become a spy."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, sir," Harry said.

"So, I should just act as normal, do you think?" Snape looked from Harry to Ginny and back.

"Yes, we think that's best. If Crouch gets suspicious, it might mess up everything. I nearly did today. Crouch was going to make us resist the Imperius Curse, and I refused to, and defended myself. He twisted it into a duel, and I really didn't want to reveal too much of what I know, but he got desperate, and fired a Killing Curse at Ginny. So… I lost it completely. Would probably have killed him if Ginny hadn't intervened. Luckily, he mistook my reaction to the Curse as my misunderstanding of 'fighting the Curse'."

"I suggest you watch him for a while and see if he really just misunderstood, or if he's getting suspicious. At least now I know why he looked so beat up when he came to the staffroom a few weeks ago. He refused to say how he got hurt," Snape said.

Small talk with Severus Snape was as good as useless, so Harry and Ginny left soon after.


	27. Like Son Like Father

_A/N: Before you ask, the title of the Chapter was turned backwards compared to the saying on purpose. The reason for this quick update is just because I had the Chapter ready. I know I might have gone overboards with Harry's fight with Moody, but it'll be as it is for now. Hey, it's fanfiction; not a realistic documentary, for those of you who pointed it out so nicely to me..._

The afternoon October 30th found Harry and Ginny wandering out to the front of the castle, bringing up the rear of the group that Professor McGonagall lead. The day had passed very slowly, in anticipation of the arrival of the visitors. Hermione was chattering about everything she knew about Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and Ron was talking to Harry's deaf ears about entering the Tournament. Neville watched peacefully, accompanied by a dreamy-looking Luna Lovegood.

Harry positioned himself behind Ginny, his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder, feeling entirely carefree for once. They muttered quietly to each other about everything and nothing while they waited; gentle teasing, loving words and nonsensical discussions. They lived in their own little bubble until Dumbledore's voice interrupted them.

"Aha! Unless I'm not mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!" The students started to look around.

"There!" someone shouted.

Something large was hurling towards them on the sky. Harry saw it quite early, thanks to his bird of prey vision. A sharp intake of breath from Ron and Neville informed him that they'd spotted it too; a large powder-blue carriage the size of a house drawn by a dozen Winged Horses.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked a first year.

"Don't be stupid – it's a flying house!" Dennis Creevey said, squinting up towards the dark blue sky.

The front rows drew backwards to make room for landing as the carriage drew nearer. It left Harry and Ginny in front. Ron and Hermione were standing right behind them, peering over and around to look.

The carriage came to land with tremendous speed and a bump that had Neville jump onto Susan's foot, who stood right behind him.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry!" he said, tearing his eyes away from the horses' hooves, which were at the size of dinner plates.

"It's – it's alright," she assured him, but her scrunched up face told him something different. So Neville kindly placed a cooling charm on her right foot; a spell that Ginny had taught him when he'd been hit in the leg by a bludger from George.

The horses slowed to a halt by the entrance to the castle and threw their large heads around, rolling their fiery red eyes as they stomped impatiently on the ground. A door in the carriage opened, and a boy in pale blue robes jumped out, bent forwards and fumbled with something underneath the carriage before he unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully as a large woman strode out of the carriage. She immediately explained the size of both the carriage and the horses. Indeed, she was as big as Hagrid. Through the darkness Harry saw a handsome face with a slightly hooked nose and ink-black liquid-looking eyes. Shining opals decorated her neck and fingers, contrasting the black satin robe that she wore. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun in the nape of her neck, shining in the light as she climbed the stairs to the entrance, where Dumbledore was waiting.

He started to clap, and the students joined in, although many were more interested in watching this woman than to applaud, and stood on their tiptoes in order to do so. The woman's face relaxed into a gracious smile as she took Dumbledore's extended hand.

"Welcome to Scotland and Hogwarts, my dear Madame Maxime," Dumbledore said jovially.

"Dumbly-dorr," Madame Maxime said, "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," Dumbledore said with a smile.

Madame Maxime turned towards the carriage and waved an enormous hand. "My students."

The silk-clad Beauxbatons students looked like miniatures beside Madame Maxime. They trailed out of the carriage, pulling their cloaks tighter and shivered in the cold autumn evening. Some of them had wrapped scarves around their faces. Harry didn't envy them; silk definitely wasn't something you should wear in an October evening in Scotland.

There were a dozen boys and girls, all in the late teens, Harry noticed.

"They probably brought only those eligible for the Tournament," he mused into Ginny's ear, who nodded in agreement.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should arrive any minute," Dumbledore said, "would you like to wait out here and greet them with us, or would you prefer to go inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," Madame Maxime said, and Harry saw relief in the students, who shivered in the cold. "But ze 'orses – "

"Our Care of Magical Creatures professor will be delighted to take care of them the moment he has returned from dealing with a situation arisen with some of his other – er – charges. I assure you they will be in the most capable hands," Dumbledore assured her.

"My steeds require – er – forceful 'andling," Madame Maxime said, looking around uncertainly, "zey are very strong…"

"Hagrid will be up for the job, I assure you," Dumbledore smiled kindly.

"Will you tell zis – 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?" she inquired.

 _Expensive taste. Can't imagine the cost if Triomphe only drank whiskey, what with all the water he drinks,_ Ginny pointed out. Harry snorted in amusement as his eyes followed the Beauxbatons students up the staircase.

Several minutes of silence followed. "Do you hear that, Harry?" Ginny muttered, listening.

Indeed, he did. A vacuuming sound was heard, and after a while he found the source when Lee Jordan yelled. The lake was bubbling, and something in the middle was causing waves to wash up on the shore. At first Harry thought it was the Giant Squid playing with them, but then a mast started to rise from the water, in the heart of the whirlpool. Slowly a ship rose from the depths. It looked like a resurrected wreck; a skeleton of a ship. An eerie, ghostly nature surrounded it, just like the school itself, if Hermione was anything to go by.

It began to sail over the lake towards the shore. With a large splosh, the anchor was dropped into the shallows, and a long plank slid down from the side of the boat. People were disembarking, their silhouettes black as they passed the light coming from the portholes along the side of the ship. They wore thicker robes; fur robes, more suited to the colder climate of Northern Scandinavia. The man who lead them wore, compared to the shaggy furs of his students, sleek silver furs.

He grinned toothily to Dumbledore. It was a smile that didn't reach his eyes. His face was cold, unwelcoming. Harry felt Ginny shiver in his arms. He saw why. The Dark Mark.

"Dumbledore! How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?" he held out his hand.

 _Is he here to help Crouch?_ Ginny asked, her eyes following the stranger suspiciously as he greeted Dumbledore.

Harry just did a quick search. _No. He bought himself free. Betrayed the Death Eaters. Coward. No danger._ His focus was drawn away by a familiar magical core. The sharp profile was unmistakable; duckfooted and round-shouldered.

"I didn't know Krum was in school still, Ron," Harry said, glancing at Ron, who moped and stretched on his toes to see past Hermione's bushy hair.

"It's _Krum_! I don't believe it! He's here - at Hogwarts!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, watching Krum until he disappeared inside the castle.

Hermione, however, was less enthusiastic about Krum, and made it known, which turned into an argument as they headed inside and climbed the Marble Staircase to the Great Hall. Ron was obviously not the only one. Harry heard girls talking about getting Krum's autograph with their lipstick on the way in.

"I'm glad you're not one of them," he told Ginny sincerely as they sat by the Gryffindor table.

The Durmstrang students had already settled by the Slytherin table, and most of the Beauxbatons students had found a place with the Ravenclaws. When they were all seated, Dumbledore welcomed the guests, and then the meal was served. Contrary to the ordinary feasts, they had included varieties of foreign food.

One of the Beauxbatons students came over to ask for the Bouillabasse just after Hagrid had returned with heavily bandaged hands. Hermione eyed her suspiciously, having disliked her rude laughter during Dumbledore's speech, and commented on it.

Harry recognized some inhuman magic that he'd seen at the World Cup. _She's a veela,_ he warned Ginny, who had to hide a grin when she saw Ron's purple face. Hermione looked at Ron sourly.

"There's no need to be jealous at her, Hermione," Ginny told her, "she's a veela; Ron's attraction is magical. It's not real. His real attraction is as strong for you as yours is for him." She grinned mischievously.

Ron's head whipped around to look at Ginny with big eyes. "Wha'?" he asked, and then looked at Hermione, whose cheeks turned bright red. And then he caught up.

"I don't fancy Hermione!" he declared loudly, causing several nearby people to turn and stare at him.

"Oh? You don't believe in me? You think you can hide your emotions from me, Ron?" Ginny challenged, and Ron's ears turned beet red. He threw a shy look at Hermione.

Then, in a very un-Hermioneish way, she leaned over and kissed him, cheeks flaming brilliantly. Harry watched with surprise as Ron froze, and then returned the kiss with enthusiasm. Beside him, Ginny began to cheer, joined in by Fred, George and Neville, who wolf-whistled teasingly.

Ron and Hermione parted, both even more red. Hermione's face was lit with a happy smile, while Ron grinned goofily, and was given a clap on the back from Neville.

"Congratulations, mate!"

"Yeah… thanks." Ron said, his freckles almost disappearing with the blush in his face.

Harry smiled when he saw Hermione's hand take Ron's, who squeezed back and shot Harry a dark look.

"Shut up," he muttered, but couldn't quite the smile on his face.

In addition to Hagrid, Mr. Crouch and Ludo Bagman had taken place at the head table. Since they had organized the Tournament, Harry found it reasonable that they were there for the feast. But Harry's gaze lingered at Mr. Crouch. There was dark magic around him. Not the Dark Mark, but still something really bad. After a few moments of studying it, he decided it could be nothing else than an Imperius Curse. To be safe, Harry entered his mind. He brushed away impressions and memories further and further back in time. Ginny was watching him patiently as he worked.

 _How the hell…_

 _What, Harry?_

 _He's been Imperiused by Voldemort,_ Harry said slowly. His focus shifted. He aimed in on Moody, and after a long silence, continued: _because… because they thought he'd tell Dumbledore. It wasn't safe for their plan to let him go around, free to tell anybody about his son being alive and free._

 _Is that how Crouch jr. escaped from his father's clutches after the World Cup? He was the man in the Forest – Crouch Sr. would have brought him home afterwards._

 _Yes. Voldemort and Wormtail arrived their house later. They freed Jr., and Imperiused Sr. The question is; what do we do now? Like father like son; Sr. is likely to break out of the spell, isn't he? It's only a matter of time. He's a strong man. It probably won't be too long._

 _We can't let him stay under the curse, can we, Harry?_ Ginny asked uncertainly.

 _I don't know. If Jr. realizes that… well, he might try to kill his own father. He's that mad,_ Harry said gravely, thoughtfully staring into the table. Their friends, knowing that something was up, kept up appearances, fortunately. Harry and Ginny both knew that they'd be questioned afterwards, in private.

 _Could you do a shield charm?_

 _We've got to prevent him from informing everyone about it too. He needs to know that Voldemort is going to return, and that we know how to kill him once and for all_ , Harry said determinedly.

 _Are you going to tell Sr. the whole plan? Are you sure that is a good idea? He probably won't believe us,_ Ginny insisted.

 _He's got to._

And then, after the dessert was consumed and vanished, Dumbledore stood and introduced them to Mr. Crouch and Bagman, and then Filch brought up a large jewel-encrusted wooden chest that was placed on the table beside Dumbledore.

"The instructions for the tasks that the champions will face have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasked, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction and of course, the ability to cope with danger. This is not a task for the faint at heart, and not for the foolhardy. It is indeed a very dangerous tournament.

"Now, as you know, three champions are chosen to compete in the tournament – one from each of the schools gathered here tonight. The champions will be judged by scores in each of the tournaments, and the champion with the highest total of scores by the end of the third task is our winner. The participating champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore reached into the chest and pulled out a wooden goblet, which could have been passed as a drinking goblet from the medieval times, was it not for the blue-white flames dancing from its bowl.

"Anyone who wish to submit themselves as a champion must write their name and school clearly on a piece of parchment and put it in the Goblet of Fire. You will only have twenty-four hours; tomorrow night, at Halloween, the goblet will choose. The goblet will be placed at the Entrance Hall tonight, easily accessible for anyone who wish to put their name forward.

"To prevent any underage students to yield to the temptation of participating, I will create an age-line around the goblet once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall. No-one below the age of seventeen will be able to cross it.

"Finally, I want to stress that you should not take the matter of entering the Tournament lightly. Once a champion is chosen, he or she is obliged to participate in the Tournament to the end. A binding magical contract is formed with the Goblet of Fire once the champion is chosen. Please ensure that you are wholeheartedly willing and prepared to participate before you put your name in the goblet. Now I think it is time to go to bed! Good night to you all!" Dumbledore said and finished with a smile.

There was a lot of scraping as the students got up. Fred and George vocally complained about the age line, but only Harry listened, and only barely. They headed towards the doors to the Great Hall, past the Slytherin table. Ron threw a look at Viktor Krum, who was right by, hesitated and then followed Hermione's lead past the Slytherins.

"Wonder where they sleep… I haven't encountered any guest rooms in the castle yet," Harry mused.

His question was answered only seconds later when Karkaroff had bustled up his students.

"Back to the ship, then!" he said, "Viktor, how are you feeling? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Krum shook his head and pulled his fur on. Near him another student piped up:

"I vood like some vine."

"I wasn't speaking to you, Poliakoff!" Karkaroff snapped, "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robe again, you disgusting boy!"

Harry winced at the tone. Beside him Ginny shivered with horror. "To think to treat his students like that! He shouldn't be headmaster! Especially not with the Dark Mark," she whispered.

"It's different at Durmstrang, apparently," Harry muttered quietly, "they teach the Dark Arts after all. Not really strange that they wanted a Death Eater as headmaster.

He paused to let Karkaroff and the Durmstrang students out first.

"Thank you," Karkaroff said carelessly. Then he froze and turned. He stared at Harry with a vehement gaze. Behind him the rest of the students stopped and looked, confused at first, but then one of them noticed his scar and nudged a nearby mate to spread the knowledge.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. Beside him Ginny threw a hot glare at Karkaroff. "If you excuse me, yes, this is Harry Potter, but he's not here for you to gawk at. I'm sure one of your students feel the same way with being stared at like an Aliquot Deer!" she said and glanced at Krum, who watched her and Harry curiously. Then she dragged Harry away after Fred and George, who were still going on about crossing the Age Line with the aid of an ageing potion.

"How much time d'you reckon we need to make it, Harry?" Fred asked.

"Two hours. Tops. Be careful with the timing. You won't want to age many years, so don't let it mature too much," Harry replied.

"It's not that hard, I don't think," George said.

"We'll have it done before bedtime!"

"Well, good luck to you both," Harry said darkly. He knew that in the depth of the night, Crouch jr. would add Harry's name to the goblet, and that was no comforting thought. He shut out the twins' discussion about an ageing potion, and glanced at Ron and Hermione, who were standing very close, fingers intertwined and whispering softly to each other.

"I have to talk to Mr. Crouch," Harry said.

"Why?" Ron wondered.

Harry lead the others into an empty classroom and waved his wand to create some privacy shields.

Ginny began to explain: "He's under the Imperius Curse. Tom's Imperius Curse, which he will break free from eventually. And when that happens, Crouch Jr. will be mad enough to try to kill him to prevent him from tattling. Or, as we all know, prolonged endurance of the Unforgivables, lead to madness."

Neville swallowed audibly, looking sickly green. "But how do you know if he'll be telling anyone?"

"It's a chance Voldemort and Crouch Jr. won't dare to take. Too much is at stake," Harry explained, we'll talk about this later; we can't miss him."

He ran out of the room and back towards the Great Hall, just in time to catch Mr. Crouch exiting with Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said.

"Hello, Headmaster," Harry said politely, "Mr. Crouch, I was wondering if I could have a word in private?"

Mr. Crouch looked slightly puzzled, but nodded and followed Harry into the very same classroom as Ron, Hermione, Neville and Fred and George had just vacated. Ginny was still there, looking slightly uneasy. Mr. Crouch studied her for a few moments before turning back to Harry.

"What was it that you wanted, Mr. Potter?"

Harry raised his wand. A beam of orange zoomed out of the tip and hit Crouch's chest, pushing him a couple of steps backwards. Ginny kindly helped him into a chair while he desperately looked around.

"Starting to comprehend, are we?" Harry said dryly.

"Mr. Potter!" he whispered hoarsely, "I-I couldn't stop them – "

"I know. I don't blame you."

"Why did you help me?" Mr. Crouch asked weakly, staring up at Harry, his skull-like face looking more so as his eyes were wide open, wild-looking.

"I don't want your son killing you, despite your past actions, which he probably would once you broke the curse. Am I guessing right?" Harry asked calmly.

Mr. Crouch shifted a little. "Yes… yes, I believe so, Mr. Potter." He seemed to sag a little, looking resignated. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Harry said. "To be honest, that's not the only reason. I am a mind reader. And I can feel magic. I know everything that happened between you and your son after the World Cup. I know that he is helping Voldemort resurrect." Crouch flinched at the name.

"But – but you must do something!"

"I am," Harry said. "I know how to kill him once and for all, but to do that he will have to be surrected. The night of the last task – Bertha Jorkins, do you know her?"

Mr. Crouch's eyes widened even more, and he nodded. "Yes. Nosy woman. Doesn't know when to keep quiet."

"Didn't," Harry corrected. Mr. Crouch paled even more. "She's dead. Voldemort got her to tell all the information about the tournament. Your son knows. He's here at Hogwarts."

"H-Here?" Mr. Crouch said hoarsely, "how…"

"Moody. Remember the so-called false alarm about a break-in at Moody's place after the World Cup?" Ginny began, "that article that slandered my father and the Ministry?"

Mr. Crouch's gaze shifted to her. "Yes… yes, I remember. It wasn't a false alarm, then?"

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "Your son's doing. Polyjuice Potion. I saw it the moment he entered the Great Hall on the first day of school. His plan is to enter me into the tournament, and make sure I win. On the third task the TriWizard cup will be a portkey, not to the arena, but to a little graveyard where Voldemort's parents lived. That's where he will be resurrected. That is where I will kill him."

Mr. Crouch's jaw dropped. "But… but you can't let him go free! We've got to do something!"

"We can't. Not if we want Voldemort gone for real. But you trust me, Mr. Crouch; I'm keeping a close eye on your son. He's not going to hurt anyone as long as I can help it," Harry said fiercely and reached out when he felt Ginny's body next to his.

"But you can't let him go through with his plan – what if you fail to kill him?"

"I can't fail. There is no room for error. Kill or be killed," Harry said gravely, rubbing Ginny's back. He felt her fear and her sadness, but the worst thing was that he couldn't do or say anything to calm her. He couldn't promise her that he would make it safely, or even alive. And he couldn't promise her that everything would be alright, because he wasn't sure if it would.

He pressed a tender kiss to her temple and looked back at Mr. Crouch.

"And what is your plan for me? Surely there must be something, since you are telling me all of this?" Mr. Crouch asked.

"To make sure you don't do as your son wanted to prevent you from doing. And to prevent you from the risks of prolonged exposure to an Unforgivable. Wouldn't want to end up like the Longbottoms, would you?"

Mr. Crouch released a shaky breath. "You want me to keep all this quiet?"

"You must bring out your best acting skills," Ginny said. "Do that, and Harry will give you a magical shield. It'll stop the Unforgivables, any attempts on your life and to control your mind until Harry deems it safe to let it go."

"That's preposterous! No such shield exists! Nothing can stop the Killing Curse!"

"You are telling that to the kid who actually survived one," Harry said dryly. Anything is possible with magic if you've got enough power, and know how to manipulate your magic correctly. I've done it before. Your son tried to kill my wife."

For a long time Mr. Crouch observed them quietly. "You can't possibly be mere children, can you?"

Harry uttered a mirthless laugh. "Voldemort does that to you."

"So how about it? Do we have a deal?" Ginny asked.

Mr. Crouch nodded. "Very well." He stood and looked expectantly at Harry, who lifted his wand again. Without a single word, a field of golden surrounded him for a moment, and then turned invisible. But there was no doubt it was there; even Mr. Crouch could feel it. He reached out a hand as if to touch it.

"Thank – thank you, Mr. Potter," he said at last, and nodded in Ginny's direction before he left the classroom.

Harry and Ginny remained in each other's arms for a long while afterwards before they had to leave to get to the Gryffindor Tower before curfew.

"I think that the one who choose to participate on free will is mad, reckless or the worst case of attention-seeking that I've ever seen. You must be desperate to enter that Tournament!" they could hear Neville's indignant voice the moment they entered the door to their own parlour behind the tapestry.

"Hi! How did it go?" Hermione asked. She sat leaned against Ron's chest on the sofa, her finger tips playing with his hands.

"Surprisingly well," Ginny admitted. She was, to be honest, baffled at how easy it had been to explain to Mr. Crouch, and how little convincing he had needed.

That night Ron and Hermione sat alone in Harry and Ginny's living room long after the others had gone to bed. Halloween morning was Saturday, so when Harry and Ginny didn't find Hermione in the Common Room as usual, they decided to let her sleep in. Most other students, however, were up early with excitement about the goblet. They found about twenty people gathered around it in the Entrance Hall, age line already in place. Apparently, all the Durmstrang students had added their names when passing through for breakfast.

Harry's stomach coiled with unease. He knew that his name was in that goblet, and he knew that it was likely to come out of it tonight. But he didn't like it a moment. He stood there and watched the goblet with distaste when Fred and George arrived to attempt to get past the Age Line.

"Is it going to work, you think, Harry?" George asked, studying the Age Line.

Harry grinned. He, of course, knew what would happen when they crossed it. "Why don't you try and figure out?"

Fred and George exchanged a hesitant look. "I think we are being fooled, Forge!"

"Right you are, Gred! Who knows what our dear brother-in-law knows?"

"In any case, if it doesn't work," Ginny said, "you are starting your business career as pranksters with a bang!"

"Promising, ickle Gin-Gin!" George declared and downed his bottle of potion.

"Even better!" Fred grinned.

They both got in, and they both added their names to the goblet, but then they were flung out of the circle, half covered in white beards the same length as Dumbledore's. Everyone in the Entrance Hall broke into laughter. Harry clutched his stomach, which cramped up as he laughed.

"W-we w-warned you!" he laughed, unable to stop.

Fred and George looked at each other and then themselves before they keeled over in laughter until Dumbledore arrived and sent them to the Hospital Wing with a smile of amusement. Through the breakfast there was only one theme going on; who entered their names to the goblet?

Harry hoped that Angelina or Diggory would be the "real" champion for Hogwarts. He agreed with Neville, who came down only shortly after them that Warrington of Slytherin couldn't possibly be chosen. Neville thought he looked too stupid, and Harry, remembering him from the Quidditch matches, agreed.

Ron and Hermione didn't appear before ten thirty. Hermione was there first, Ron sauntered into the Great Hall minutes later, beaming when he spotted Hermione. He moved on to give her a kiss, and then wanted to know who had entered their names into the goblet. Harry, Ginny and Neville told him while he ate his breakfast in record speed to get done before the breakfast was finished. Then they went down to visit Hagrid, and tried to get him to tell what the tasks were about, but he flat out refused.

They stayed at Hagrid's until lunch, none of then keen on eating his beef casserole, and returned to the castle. After lunch they worked off some restlessness at the Quidditch pitch.

"Harry, can't we play tag instead?" Ginny complained, "I want to do something else than throwing the Quaffle!"

"Yeah, me too!" Neville agreed, doing a loop on his broom.

"Alright!" Harry said, "are you in, Ron?"

"You bet!" he yelled in return and zoomed towards them, "I've got it!"

Ginny, Harry and Neville dispersed quickly, and Ron had to choose one to follow. He chose Neville, and then switched to Ginny, who wasn't content with just using the pitch. She started soaring over the castle, and when she got caught by the greenhouses, where Ron tricked her when zig-zagging between them. Ginny then aimed at Harry, which was no easy task. Harry not only flew faster than her, but he pulled the most playful stunts while he did. For instance he forced her to nearly one thousand feet and then dived back towards the ground, towards the lake.

Harry felt amazing. Falling freely made his stomach flutter, and his eyes water; the speed thrilled him, and made hom want to whoop in joy. Then, at the last possible moment he pulled out, angling up again, taking a look around the Durmstrang ship and the Beauxbatons carriage as Ginny hurled after him. She caught him by surprise and tagged him with a brilliant laugh.

Seeing her retreating back, he couldn't help but smile. Ron and Neville were probably somewhere nearby, but he couldn't care less. He wanted Ginny. He chased after her, following her impressive dives and spins lying close to her Chaser's heart, and then straight up, climbing like a rocket. She paused at the same height they had just been in, grinning at him before reaching out a hand. He took it, and after a quiet signal, they dived together. Harry knew flying from his eagle; a bird with one of the fastest dives in the world. He knew how to manage the updrafts and downdrafts to his advantage, and how to feel the smallest changes of the air movement around him. It was something that Ginny envied him slightly, but with a broom she was able to join him in his element.

Ginny tore free from him and swooped down low over the lake and the grounds where students were heading up for dinner. She laughed loudly as she watched Harry dive lower and lower until even she was certain he would go straight into the water. But she knew better, of course. He had full control, even though he looked like no more than a blur of black wooshing down. He pulled upwards, changing the momentum, not even getting his feet wet.

He laughed at her and kept the speed up until he caught up with her, above the rear of the Beauxbatons students. Ron and Neville were already waiting by the entrance door.

"You know Ginny wasn't the only one to go after, Harry?" Ron asked as Harry slipped off his broom.

"Of course I know!" Harry replied and flung his broom over his shoulder.

"Should we run up to the Tower first, or do it later?" Ginny asked as she strode after the boys inside.

"Later. There's no time," Harry said, "We don't want to miss it." Instantly, his belly was filled with stinging hornets as he thought of the tasks to come. He felt Ginny's hand slide into his and her soft lips on his cheek.

"It'll be alright," she muttered her assurance.

They found Hermione by the end of the table, talking quietly with Fred and George.

Tonight, Harry thought that the feast lasted way too long. His appetite had been lost the moment he saw some of the Beauxbatons girls eyeing him.

"They saw your dive, Harry. They're impressed, I think. Or, I know," Ginny corrected herself smugly. She beamed proudly at him.

"Yeah, alright, but they don't have to stare at me," he said, fidgeting under the attention he was given.

At long last the plates cleared, and Dumbledore got up and explained the proceedings of the selection. And then the goblet flared up. Viktor Krum was chosen for Durmstrang. Harry was a little surprised, because he didn't see _him_ as one to fight dragons and other dangerous creatures. But then again, he was an international Quidditch player, and thus probably had a very strong mind, like all athletes. Next, Fleur Delacour, the veela-girl, was chosen from Beauxbatons. Ginny hoped for her sake that she had more than pretty looks. Hogwarts' champion was Diggory. Many thought of him as a pretty-boy, but Harry and Ginny knew better, having spent a weekend in the Hospital Wing with him. So they applauded, sincerely happy that someone deserving was chosen.

"And now that all our champions have been chosen, I am sure that I can count on you, including the remaining students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to give your champions every ounce of support you possess. By cheering on your champion – " Dumbledore paused mid sentence as the goblet's fire turned red again.

Harry felt his heart beat madly in his chest as a small piece of parchment was launched into the air. Dumbledore took it and stared at it with bafflement. The Great Hall was dead silent. Everyone watched him with anticipation and curiosity.

"Albus," Professor McGonagall began.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Harry Potter."

Harry stiffened. He had expected it, but now it suddenly felt very real. Every fiber in his body fought against this. So he sat there, not moving, as if everything was like an annoying wasp that would go away if he waited.

"Harry Potter," Dumbledore repeated, his eyes searching the Gryffindor table. Everything was dead silent. Every student, every teacher, every ghost stared at him, making him feel no bigger than Ginny's firefly.

"B-but I didn't put my name in!" he declared after Ginny nudged him, though with a worried frown on her face.

"Come up here, please, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, though he looked concerned.

"But I didn't do it! I didn't want to enter!" he protested, but Ginny silenced him with a kiss and another shove, making him stand and get up. He walked along the aisle between the tables to the head table and paused beside Dumbledore.

"Well… through the door, Harry."

"But I didn't enter!" Harry said loudly, nearly stomping his foot in annoyance.

"It is a magically binding contract, Mr. Potter. Go on, now."

Feeling numb, Harry stared at Dumbledore before he walked through the professors' entrance door.

Through it, he found a smaller chamber, walls lined with portraits and paintings, the floor covered in a large rug. A fire crackled in the fireplace. Diggory, the Delacour girl and Krum were gathered around it, Krum slightly separated from the two others, hunched over, brooding. Delacour with her hands on her back, contemplating. She turned when they heard the door close.

"What is it?" she asked. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

Harry didn't get to answer before Ludo Bagman entered and burst forwards, grabbing his arm with an excited look on his face.

"Extraordinary! Extraordinary! Gentlemen, my lady, may I introduce you to the _fourth_ champion!"

Krum straightened, his surly face darkening as he surveyed Harry.

"Potter?" Diggory asked, surprise in his voice.

Harry looked at him and tore his arm free from Bagman's grip. "I didn't enter, I swear, Diggory! Ask Ginny; she was with me all the time, the whole night, the whole day – what?" he asked when he received a startled look from Delacour.

"Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman," Delacour said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, but she didn't look particularly amused.

And while Bagman tried to convince Fleur of his truth, Professor Dumbledore entered, followed by Madame Maxime, Karkaroff, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Mr. Crouch, and in a cacophony of voices began an argument. Harry stood there, feeling lost, and as such pulled on his connection with Ginny for comfort. She told Ron, Hermione, Neville and the twins about the proceedings in the next chamber.

Harry tensed the moment Moody entererd the room. Father and son gathered, both knowing of the other, but the son fortunately not knowing that the father did.

"Ah… yes, the first task… it is designed to test your daring. So we are not going to tell you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard… very important." Mr. Crouch must've felt the stress of his son being on the loose, Harry thought. He looked rather ill, with papery, pale skin and dark shadows beneath his eyes.

"The first task will take place on November twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help in any way from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first task armed only with their wands. They will receive the information about the second task once the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournaments, the champions are excepted from the end-of-year exams."

And then Mr. Crouch left.

"Madame Maxime – Professor Karkaroff – a nightcap?" Dumbledore offered kindly.

Karkaroff looked at Krum. "We are getting back to the ship. Viktor needs his sleep," he said.

"I vant to stay behind," Krum said, "I vill speak vith the others, I think."

Karkaroff looked as though he wanted to argue, but then he nodded curtly. "Perhaps that nightcap, Albus?" he suggested, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Certainly! Olympe, will you be joining us?"

Madame Maxime had been having a discussion in French with Delacour, and looked at Dumbledore. "Oh, oui, perhaps I should… for ze sake of friendship!" she agreed. Together with Dumbledore, Bagman, Snape, McGonagall and Crouch jr., they left the room, only Dumbledore paused in the doorway when he'd held it open for them all.

"Good evening, Mrs. Potter," he smiled at Ginny, who returned it rather strainedly before she hurried into the room and hugged Harry tightly.

"Are you alright?" she asked as he bent to kiss her, ignoring the looks of Krum and Delacour.

"I will be. Just a shock, you know."

"I know you didn't put your name in," she assured him, mostly for the others to overhear. "You know that too, don't you, Diggory?"

Diggory shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the others. Then he nodded. "Potter hates attention; he doesn't show off."

"Right you are. Unless I'm completely mistaken, Mr. Krum, you are familiar with unwanted attention, right?" Ginny asked, looking squarely at Krum, who eyed her curiously and nodded.

"Although," Krum began, looking at Harry, "I saw you flying today. I vood like to fly vith you some time."

Harry stared at him, surprised. Viktor Krum, the best seeker in the world, wanted to fly with _him_? Perhaps he'd heard wrong?

"Are you free tomorrow?" Krum asked.

Apparently not. Harry nodded. "Yeah, sure. At the pitch after breakfast?"

"I vill look forvard to it," Krum declared and held out his hand.

Harry shook it politely.

"Meester Dumbly-door called you Mrs. Potter," Fleur pointed out, looking demandingly at Ginny, who glared back at her.

"Well, yes, because that's who I am," she replied.

"But you are just little children! 'Ow can you be married?" Fleur demanded, horrified as her gaze moved from Harry to Ginny and back.

Harry felt numb disbelief filling him, and on top of that a wave of anger. He was about to speak up when Diggory did.

"Harry has faced You-Know-Who several times already, Fleur. His experiences don't belong to those of a child. Similar to Ginny's. She fought You-Know-Who's possession for nearly a year," he said calmly, watching Fleur's fair features pale.

She swallowed heavily, a uncertain look on her face as she slumped, shamefully. She hesitated. "Je suis desolé," she muttered, "Je ne savais pas…"

"Trés peu de savoir," Harry replied, meeting Fleur's gaze, which filled with surprise.

"I did not mean to pry," Fleur said, "I was merely curious."

"You are forgiven. We prefer not to tell everyone if you don't mind."

"Of course. Special circumstances I see," she agreed, nodding.


	28. Playing Krum

To get away from the chaotic castle and all the people who either called Harry a cheater or hero, Ginny called on Winky to make a picnic basket, which she and Harry brought down to the lake the next morning. Ron and Hermione wanted some time together without their friends and promised to come and watch when Harry flew with Krum. Neville said he had something to do, and blushed when he said so. Harry and Ginny got off his case out of respect of privacy.

It was a chilly morning, so they didn't want to stop and get cold. Instead they discussed the three tasks that Harry would go through.

 _The dragons I've got alright. I'll fly. Their hides are resistant to most spells. I couldn't very well use an Unforgivable! Imagine Charlie if I did,_ Harry said.

 _If anyone could outfly a dragon, it would be you. Or Krum, of course,_ she said and stared into the lake. _What about the second task? The lake? Are you sure about using Gillyweed?_

Harry nodded. _Yes. Not only does it allow me to breathe underwater, it also allows me to swim faster, and I don't have to struggle with the risk of a bubble-head charm breaking. It's the last task that's worrying me. We've got no idea of what sort of things that are going to be inside that maze._

 _What do you think Krum will do with the dragons, if he's not flying?_ Ginny asked.

 _Karkaroff will be helping him, no doubt. He knows a lot of dark hexes and curses from his Death Eater days._

 _Talking about fairies…_ Ginny muttered, amusement in her tone as she saw Krum exiting the Durmstrang ship, long after the other Durmstrang students had left for breakfast. His usual surly face gave away no thoughts whatsoever, and he looked even moodier today than the previous two days. He started to stroll along the bank of the lake for a couple of hundred feet before he spotted Harry and Ginny and increased his stride as he walked towards them.

"Good morning," he said politely.

"Good morning to you as well," Harry replied.

"Were you going for breakfast?" Ginny asked, offering him a smile.

"No. I do not vant all those girls giggling at me all the time. It is annoying," Krum said.

"I know what you mean," Harry muttered quietly. Then he held up the basket that he still carried. "Want some breakfast? We've got plenty. Our house-elf is a little too enthusiastic."

"Thank you," Krum said and dug his hand into it when Harry opened the basket for him. He pulled out a small stack of crumpets, which he instantly began eating.

"Haff you played Quidditch for a long time?" Krum asked, looking at Harry.

"Err… no, not really. Three years ago I barely knew how Quidditch worked," Harry admitted. "Ginny's been playing in the dark of the night since she was little, though." He grinned at Ginny's reddening cheeks, even though it earned him a solid shove.

This caused Krum's lips to curve ever-so-slightly in amusement.

"You are very good too," he told Ginny.

"Only, Harry is better. He's a natural, and we all know," she said, hugging Harry proudly.

"How long have you been training to become that good? We saw you at the World Cup. It was mind-blowing," Harry said.

"I haff been playing since I could valk," Krum said, "flying makes me feel free."

"That's how I felt the first time I flew on a broom. I had no concerns, nothing mattered outside the joy of flying, the thrill and the wind blowing in your hair…" Harry muttered dreamily.

Ginny smiled as she saw the mirroring dreamy look in their faces. "Birds of a feather," she hummed, and beamed when Harry sent her a questioning look.

When all three of them had eaten, Krum went back into the Durmstrang ship and found his broom while Harry flew up to the Gryffindor tower in his Golden Eagle form for his own. Ginny got there first, and climbed up to the stands, which were raised high up and ran continuously along the edge of the field. Krum appeared shortly later, his broom on his shoulder. He floated up to her level.

"Do you know how he began to play? I am certain I heard somewhere he vos raised by muggles."

Ginny smiled. She hadn't seen it with her own eyes, but she'd heard others talk about it, and besides, seen it from inside Harry's mind. "The first time he was on a broom was at our first flying lesson. One of our friends, Neville, fell off and broke his wrist, and at the same time lost his Remembrall. Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin, picked it up when our teacher had taken Neville to the Hospital Wing. He mocked Neville behind his back, and threatened to break this Remembrall. So he got to the air. Harry followed, wanting to get it back to Neville. At that point I don't think he had the slightest idea of how to fly a broom, but he still outflew Malfoy, caught the Remembrall, which Malfoy throwed, and got put on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as the youngest Seeker in one hundred years," she said proudly. Krum studied her with a slightly impressed face. Feeling Harry approaching from her left, she turned and beamed at him.

His face was tinged pink. "You really shouldn't tell everybody," he muttered as he flew up to them.

"Well!" she said, "I am allowed to brag of my husband, aren't I?"

Harry grumbled in dismay, but didn't say anything, and instead moved further out on the field after Krum.

"Do you haff a Snitch?" Krum asked.

"Not personally, but we can borrow the school's Snitch," Harry said.

"It is okay," Krum said and produced a flawless golden Snitch from his robes. It gleamed brilliantly in the sun, free of any scrapes and dents that the school's training Snitches had. "It is an international standard Snitch, though."

"That'll be fine. I've never tried one like that," Harry admitted, "but it'll be fun!"

"I vant to race you first. See if you can follow." A mischievous smile crossed his face, and Krum soared slowly towards the one end of the field, by the goal posts.

Harry followed, his body tense with anticipation. He didn't have particularly high hopes to beat the best seeker in the world, but he decided that it wouldn't come down to lack of effort. Bracing himself on his Firebolt, he watched Krum out of the corner of his eye.

"Straight across to the other hoops, around and back, yes?" Krum threw a glance at him.

Harry gave a curt nod.

"Three – two – one – now!"

Harry lunged forward, pushing his broom to go as fast as he could get it. Crouching low over his broom Harry fixed his stare at the hoops that approached very fast. He saw Krum flying from him, surprisingly slowly, and not at all left him behind in his dust like Harry had expected. When they rounded the centre hoop, Harry was ten feet behind, but didn't give up, and fought on until he reached the other hoops again, nearly twenty feet behind.

Krum stopped and swerved right as Harry pulled up beside him. He looked at Harry with honesty, "That is very good," he said, "I do not see talent like yours outside professional Quidditch very often."

"Err.. thanks," Harry said, blushing. "Ginny and I hope to become professionals one day."

"I can not say about her, but I see with some training, you can go professional very soon. Vill you allov me to give you some advice?" Krum asked.

"Oh! Yeah, that would be great!" Harry said enthusiastically.

"The Firebolt is a very sensitive broom," he began, "as you know. It reacts to every square millimetre of your grip, your veight and hov you use your thighs and legs. The best fliers pay attention to a firm grip with an even pressure on the whole surface."

He then proceeded to demonstrate and to physically alter Harry's way of sitting on a broom just slightly, or giving tips on how to sit during a dive to reduce drag, while asking him to pay attention to how the broom reacted to these changes.

"Of course, you must know how to fly first, or else this voud be pointless," Krum declared. "I vill not care to attempt it on a beginner, either. He vill not know the broom."

"I see the point. That is clearly a difference. Thanks!" Harry said happily after half an hour of instructions.

Krum smiled. "Now, let us free the Snitch!" He pulled out the Snitch again and held it in his hand. It fluttered eagerly inside it. "Ve vill vait fifteen seconds," he said. Harry nodded in agreement, and Krum let go of the Snitch.

They kept eye contact all the time to make sure the other wasn't cheating. And then the search began. It took five minutes until Krum dived. Harry didn't take the chance to ignore a Snitch which would be hard to spot anyway, despite his eagle vision, and urged his broom on, using his body like Krum had told him and demonstrated for him. It amazed him how such tiny details could have such great impact on the speed, because even if they were hurling towards the ground in what Harry assumed was a Wronski Feint, he didn't lose as much distance to Krum as before. Rather on the contrary; if he reached out a hand he could even blag him(pull the tail of Krum's broom, which was a foul).

Harry followed Krum's tail all the way down, and pulled away at the last moment, right beside Krum.

 _Hah! He couldn't trick you!_ Ginny crowed, jumping up and down on the stands beside Ron, Hermione, Neville and Fred and George.

Krum glanced sideways at Harry with an intrigued expression and flew off, his gaze moving constantly on the look for the Snitch. It took another few minutes before Krum tried to fool him again, by dragging him through some rather daring stunts before finishing with another Wronski Feint. Since none of them saw the Snitch, this was how the next half of an hour was passed, and Krum got more and more annoyed that Harry couldn't be Feinted out or knocked out in any other way, but in addition more impressed, if Ginny was anything to go by.

Harry was the first to see the Snitch. He didn't even dare a glance to see where Krum was, and instead flew towards it as fast as he could. It flew around in a small circle for a while until it had figured that it had been noticed, and sped off to the left. Harry followed, and heard the rustling of Krum's robes behind him.

The Snitch, being an international standard Snitch, forced him to use all of his skills and Krum's advice to go fast enough to even gain on it. Halfway around the pitch Krum was by his side, but now the Snitch was only a few feet in front of them. It dived – they followed.

 _Just a little closer,_ he thought and tried to make his broom go faster. He reached out his hand. The cool metal managed to graze his finger tips before Krum grabbed it with his longer arm. Harry pulled out of the dive, lying flat, stretched out along his broom and felt the long grass skimming the knuckles on his hands before he lifted upwards towards where Krum was braking to a stop.

"I suppose that was expected!" Harry admitted with a smile when he pulled level with Krum.

"You fought vell. I haff not had a duel like this since Luis Condor ven ve played Peru in the Vorld Cup. Thank you," Krum said, a smile playing on his lips. Holding the Snitch in his left hand, he released the broom with his right and thrust it towards Harry, who shook it.

"It was a pleasure flying against you. I've learned a lot."

"Ve must do this again."

"That'd be great!"

Having kept a continuous letter exchange with Sirius and Remus, Harry felt sure of that they were doing the right thing concerning Crouch Jr. Sirius wanted to send a Howler to Dumbledore for not seeing through such a well-known disguise as a Polyjuice Potion, and thus putting Harry and everyone else in danger, but obviously, Remus talked him out of it. They eventually settled with Harry's plan to keep Moody's true identity a secret, at least until the third task.

As the days passed, Harry was met by animosity from nearly the whole school – that is except for Gryffindor, and to everyone's surprise, Diggory himself. Even Professor Sprout seemed cold to him. Ginny got tired of it after a while, and stayed behind to help Professor Sprout correct the Climbing Chestrose that some of the students had haphazardly repotted and bound wrongly during Herbology class.

"Professor?" she began, "you know that Harry never wanted to participate in the Tournament, don't you?"

Professor Sprout turned and looked at her, "but he put his name in, didn't he, so he must've had some sort of motivation!"

"Someone else must've done it. I was with him every single moment that evening, and that night, and all of Halloween. I would have known if he did, and he didn't do it. If you've observed him meeting new people, he hates attention, so why would he participate in a Tournament that will only aim more attention at him?"

Professor Sprout stared at her, stunned. "But I… but I thought that…" then she sighed. "I am sorry, " she said at last, "you are right. It was wrong of me to assume things about him. Your husband doesn't seem like the type to want to enter. He has faced enough danger already, hasn't he?"

"Yes, he have. I think he only wanted a peaceful year for once, but with Harry you shouldn't make too great hopes," Ginny admitted.

"Indeed. Well, I have to admit that I wasn't happy that Cedric was given a rival from a different house – "

"I bet you think of him as the true champion," Ginny said dryly.

"Well, I have no doubt that Mr. Potter can do well too," Professor Sprout admitted and stacked up some empty pots when she was done repairing the mistakes that the less apt third years had done to the plants. "Are you staying a little longer, Mrs. Potter?"

Ginny looked up in surprise. "What? You're locking, aren't you?"

"I was told from Professor McGonagall how apt you are with your own garden. The stories she told are nearly unbelievable. I hope I am right in trusting you with my greenhouses?" Professor Sprout asked, "take it as an apology of my quick assumptions."

"Uhh… right. Thanks, Professor," she said politely, and watched with wonder as Professor Sprout left, leaving an old key on the table.

Ginny did indeed enjoy being in the greenhouse, but it wasn't the same as working with her own plants back home. She deadheaded the Stephixes (large, nearly tree-sized plants with fist-sized, round membranes containing black liquid nestled between their leaves) for a while, and moved the Goddess-of-Dawns out of the shade of the larger Hodea, which had leaves the size of a human. She had experienced at home how the Goddess-of-Dawns thrived in the sun, and as even as Ginny watched, the faded and droopy leaves seemed to regain strength and colour in the afternoon sun.

"Now, let's see…" she muttered to herself as she glanced around in the greenhouse. The windows near the Swampwhistles were open, their wet leaves shining in the sunset.

Investigating the Swampwhistles' soil, she decided to change it; it was too sandy and lost too much water for a Swampwhistle's requirement of marsh-like conditions. She suspected that Professor Sprout only hadn't had time to change it.

It took until dinner, which Harry had to remind her of, so she managed it in time.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

It was in Potions that Colin Creevey entered and asked for Harry.

"Sir – Mr. Bagman needs him," Creevey insisted, braving an argument with the school's most hated teacher.

At last Snape caved in, and Harry packed his things and hurried after Colin, who chatted eagerly about the Triwizard tournament. Harry didn't really listen. He was more interested in knowing what was going on, so he asked Colin in the hopes of learning something that could allow him to prepare himself. He managed to learn that the Daily Prophet wanted photos, and he already began to dread it.

 _Do you think there's any way to escape it?_ Harry asked Ginny, who was doodling in History of Magic.

 _No. Sorry. Do you want me to come?_

 _Not yet at least._

They reached the right classroom, and Colin left. Harry knocked on the door and entered. Inside he found Mr. Bagman sitting in one of the five red velvet-covered chairs placed in the room. Viktor was standing in a corner, the usual moody look on his face, looking as if he was displeased and annoyed at everyone and everything. He gave Harry a nod, which Harry returned. Fleur and Diggory were talking, but were interrupted by Bagman, who jumped up when he spotted Harry.

"There he is! Come in, Harry – it's nothing to worry about… just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment."

"Wand weighing?" Harry said, wondering why they would need to weigh his wand. What would that tell them, and why would they need that kind of information?

"We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, so there are no problems, as they are your most important tool in the tasks ahead… the expert is upstairs with Dumbledore. And there's going to be a little photoshoot. This is Rita Skeeter," he waved towards a witch in magenta robes. She had unusually stiff curls that contrasted her heavy-set jaws put into an elaborate knot. A pair of rhinestone studded spectacles rested on the bridge of her nose; she pushed them further up with a finger which nails were painted bright scarlet and peered at Harry with great interest.

"She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet," Bagman said.

"Maybe not that small, Ludo," she said suggestively, "perhaps I could have a little word with Harry before the ceremony?"

"Certainly!" Bagman cried enthusiastically, "that is, if Harry doesn't have any objections?"

Harry, who had been eyeing Skeeter suspiciously, glanced at Bagman at the mentioning of his name and stared confusedly at him. "Err..?"

"Lovely!" Skeeter said, and Harry found himself being yanked out of the room and into a small broom cupboard. "We don't want to be in there with all that noise," she said, "ah, this is nice and cosy."

Harry still glared. He knew that she was a true bug; an animagus. And with enough training with his friends and Sirius, he was able to determine her form. A beetle.

 _I doubt she's registered,_ Ginny said, _that's probably how she knew about the sensitive information at the Ministry after the riot at the World Cup._

 _So. She's misusing her abilities,_ Harry said, watching Skeeter with dismay as she pulled out a scroll of parchment and a quill that carried unusual magic – for a quill. It was a tampered-with Quick-Quote Quill.

 _I wouldn't be surprised if she did. But we don't have proof._

"So Harry, when did you decide to enter the Tournament?" she asked, leaning over until she was uncomfortably close.

But Harry didn't even get to answer before Skeeter's quill began to write.

 _An ugly scar, souvenir of a tragic past, disfigures the otherwise charming face of Harry Potter, whose eyes –_

She then kept asking him questions, most of which he didn't even get to answer before the quill was writing. And as if the first line had been untruthful, it was nearly truth compared to what it wrote next. She asked about the Tournament and his parents, while the quill wrote something entirely different. He was steadily growing more and more angry, and the air started to shift around him. He barely noticed it, but what he noticed was Ginny running.

"What do you think your parents would have said if they saw you today? Would they be proud?"

The quill wrote non-stop.

 _…_ _his eyes shimmering with years as he tells me about the sadness and and pain when he sees his friends and their parents…_

Harry felt his anger flare stronger, his magic lashing out beyond his control. Skeeter's parchment caught fire, and Harry stormed out of the room as Ginny reached the corridor. She ran into his arms and embraced him tightly. At once Harry felt his world calming down. Skeeter exited to the corridor, her hand clutching the burnt parchment, which was unreadable by now. She was blatantly ignored by both Potters, who entered the classroom again.

"What about our interview, Potter?" Skeeter demanded.

Ginny glared at her over her shoulder. "Forget it, Skeeter. I will not have you telling lies about my husband."

"Husband?" Skeeter mouthed, intrigued, and followed them into the classroom, her quill posed to write on a new scroll of parchment.

Dumbledore was there already, and he eyed Ginny with surprise. As did Bagman, but only Mr. Crouch seemed to have some dissatisfaction about her being there.

"What is she doing here, Dumbledore? She's got nothing to do with the Tournament," he said.

"Mrs. Potter has every right to stay with Mr. Potter if she wants to, as long as she is not disrupting the wand weighing ceremony," Dumbledore said, throwing a discrete, wary look at Harry.

Ginny did a faint nod in approval, and offered a small smile at Krum before she turned towards Mr. Ollivander, who had entered during Harry's absence.

Mr. Ollivander proceeded by investigating the wands of all four champions, and then the photographer was put into action. It took longer time than expected, and Ginny had sagged into a vacant chair while waiting, refusing to leave Harry to the monstrous Skeeter, even though she knew that he could very well take care of himself.

At long last they were allowed to leave. Viktor, who had been surprised when learning that Harry and Ginny knew some Bulgarian, walked over while the photographer was packing his camera up.

"What happened out there?" he asked, his mother tongue attracting curious eyes from the others in the room.

"Nothing worse than Skeeter being a liar," Harry grumbled in Bulgarian.

"She wrote an entire interview, which was entirely made up. Harry didn't get to say a single word," Ginny added with indignation.

Viktor raised his eyebrows. "And what did Harry do?"

At that point, Ginny's face blossomed into a smile. "He set fire on the parchment. It was brilliant!"

Viktor laughed. Diggory came over, smiling at them.

"Let's go to dinner, yeah?" he suggested.

Harry and Ginny nodded in agreement, while Viktor merely followed behind.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Although Harry had, to everyone's entertainment, burned Skeeter's interview, she still managed to make up something quite similar, which was posted in the Daily Prophet shortly after the interview.

"That's awful!" Hermione exclaimed and began to read aloud. "'My parents always give me strenght. I think of them and I want to make them proud. I cry about them occasionally… you know… it's not easy being an orphan. Fortunately, I've got great friends.

"'Indeed, Harry Potter has found love at Hogwarts. He has even managed to marry, but he was reluctant to tell how a fourteen-year-old came around to get married to a girl a year younger than him. Mrs. Virginia Potter would have been a rather pretty girl, if not for the countless freckles marring her face, and violently red hair. Born Weasley, she has indeed married out of poverty, her father being a lowly employee in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office and earns no more than five galleons a month (another questionable thing to add to the Ministry of Magic – while Minister Fudge takes his morning bath in Galleons, his lower employees have to struggle to get by because of the Minister and the Ministry's greediness). Mrs. Potter is otherwise a less than average student, with no apparent talents; one can wonder why Mr. Potter at all chose to marry her.' See, she can't even get Ginny's name right!"

Afterwards Harry tried not to think of the article too much; it only made him sick. The next time he saw Skeeter, he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself as much, knowing which lies she might sprout about Ginny.

The first Hogsmeade weekend was the Saturday before the task, which was placed on a Tuesday. Ginny, being a third year, was now allowed to come. Hermione and Ron rather wanted to have the day to themselves, and Neville said he was going with someone else, which Ron instantly began asking about, but was given a shove from Ginny.

"Leave it! Don't poke your nose into other people's business."

Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron walked down to Hogsmeade together, and then parted ways. Harry took the time to show Ginny around so she could see all of Hogsmeade with her own eyes. They stopped for an occasional quick snog in an alleyway or mid-street, not at all caring who watched them. To complete their trip they went to the Three Broomsticks Inn for some Butterbeer.

The two of them settled in a corner, preferring to observe everyone else rather than being observed themselves. Hagrid approached them to say hello, and to ask Harry to come and see him at midnight. He spoke in hushed tones, so Harry suspected that it concerned something that wasn't totally innocent. But Harry nodded and smiled at Hagrid, who walked back to Moody with his large tankard of mead.

In addition to Hagrid and Moody, Skeeter and her photographer visited the pub. Harry was tempted to leave that very moment, especially when she caught sight of him, but Ginny quietly suggested it would be best not to give her anything else to write about. Fortunately for them, she was distracted by Mr. Bagman, and didn't approach them, although Harry saw her throwing glances in his direction occasionally.

Near lunch times Neville entered the Three Broomsticks. But he wasn't alone. A blonde girl who Harry recognized as their Hufflepuff yearmate Hannah Abbott was with him, her hand holding his. They were smiling and laughing, obviously enjoying themselves.

 _Who'd have thought… but then again, Abbott is fitting Neville well, isn't she?_ Ginny asked, amusement in her voice.

Harry could only nod in agreement, and smiled at Neville when he caught his eye. Then he turned back towards Ginny as Neville and Hannah found a table on the other end of the pub.

Harry and Viktor had a long workout that day, lasting from after dinner until well after dark. Fortunately, the pitch had large lanterns which lit it up enough for them to play until curfew, when they were forced to quit when Professor McGonagall appeared. Harry barely managed to change and shower before he had to leave again.

At half past eleven Harry launched out of the Gryffindor dormitory window in his eagle form and soared silently down towards Hagrid's cabin. Unlike what Hagrid had suggested, Harry hadn't brought his invisibility cloak. He preferred to use the eagle, which was his registered form anyway, so it didn't matter if Hagrid learned.

Hagrid watched him nonplussed when the eagle approached. Obviously, eagles didn't go this close to humans. Then he smiled widely when Harry transformed.

"Wow, tha's great, Harry! When did'yeh learn that? Did Professor McGonagall teach yeh?" Hagrid asked enthusiastically.

"No, not really," Harry said with a dismissive shrug. "Why did you ask me down here? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Excitement gleamed in Hagrid's kind, black eyes. "Oh, yeh're going ter love this! We just have ter fetch Olympe."

Ah. That explained the oversized artichoke-like flower in his buttonhole and the strong scent of aftershave. He had even attempted to comb his hair; Harry spotted the broken teeth of a comb tangled in Hagrid's hair, which was more bushy than Hermione's. At least she combed hers regularly.

Shaking his head, Harry transformed back into his eagle form and took to the air, circling high above Hagrid. He was able to see the Beauxbatons carriage with lights gleaming out through the windows, hitting Hagrid as he approached. From the view of one hundred and fifty feet Harry was easily able to see Hagrid and Madame Maxime, who climbed out of the carriage with Hagrid's help. But he also saw flashes of light further east, inside the forest. His enhanced hearing caught the faint sound of a roar.

 _Dragons._

Harry angled towards the sound and flapped a few times before gliding quietly through the night air. He saw them soon enough. Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing in a wooden enclosure, torrents of fire blazing up towards the night sky.

Harry recognized the breeds; a silvery blue Swedish Shortsnout with long, pointy horns jutting out of the back of its head, snarling and growling at the nearby wizards, who were trying to keep it under control. Near it was a smooth-scaled Common Welsh Green which was writhing and stamping with all its might to get away from the wizards that were rounding up on it. A Chinese Fireball was shooting mushroom-shaped jets of fire into the sky, its bright red colour and golden fringe setting it apart from the other dragons. Lastly was the largest, a black Hungarian Horntail, with vicious spikes covering its tail.

 _Sweet Merlin! They're far bigger than I imagined them to be!_ Ginny exclaimed, _do you still think you can outfly those?_

 _I have to, don't I? Besides, you thought I could too._

Harry watched Hagrid and Madame Maxime close in, and soared down to perch on a branch near Hagrid as the dragon keepers stunned the dragons. Following Hagrid and Madame Maxime, Harry floated down to land on the fence surrounding the paddock to observe the dragons. Charlie Weasley approached and chatted to Hagrid for a little bit. He then caught sight of Harry and made a discrete beckoning motion with his finger before wandering off under the pretense of relieving himself. Harry followed into the depth of the forest and transformed under Charlie's stern look.

"I knew it was you," he said. "What are you doing here, Harry? You aren't supposed to see them before the task."

"Well, how the bloody hell should I know what Hagrid was going to show me?" Harry asked, "I don't read people's mind on a regular basis, you know!"

Charlie raised a brow. "Sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"Have you talked to Sirius and Remus? Do you really know what is going on?"

"About the real Moody, you mean?" Charlie asked, "Dad wrote about it. He thought I ought to know, since I was going to help at the Tournament."

Harry nodded. "Well, I already knew dragons were going to be used in the Tournament. I read Crouch jr's mind, obviously. Didn't dare not to once I noticed he had the Dark Mark."

Charlie crossed his arms and nodded slowly. "You learned everything about the Tournament from Crouch, didn't you?"

Harry nodded. "But I'm not sure about what will be in the maze, though," he admitted, "some vicious creatures, I expect. Hagrid's screwts, most likely."

Charlie laughed. "Yeah, most likely. I've got to go back now. Say hello to Ginny for me, will you?

"She says 'hi' back," Harry said with a grin.

A wry smile crossed Charlie's face. "Make sure you get a good night sleep. I really hope you don't get the Hungarian Horntail. Do you know what to do?"

"Yes. I've got a plan," Harry said.

"Good. I'll see you both at the task." He then wandered back to the paddock.

Harry instead flew back towards the castle, spotting Karkaroff on the way. In that case, the only one by the time of the task, who didn't know what the task was about, was Diggory. At least Harry wasn't going to play unfair. If all three others were to know, Diggory should too. And Ginny agreed.

It took a long time for Harry to fall asleep that night. For a long time he kept thinking about the dragons. Everything suddenly felt very real. He was going to combat a dragon in no more than a week. Ginny's sleeping face beside him was the only thing that allowed him to drag his thoughts over to more peaceful things, and then, for a while he lay completely still, just watching Ginny until he fell asleep.


	29. A Hogwarts Christmas

The next afternoon Harry managed to corner Diggory and inform him about the dragons. He spent the whole afternoon on his Firebolt, practicing. Viktor had his own plan on how to deal with the first task, so he didn't have much time to fly with Harry, but he appeared a few hours after dinner.

"Nervous?" he asked, peering up at Harry, who hovered a few feet above him.

Harry nodded. "You?"

"Very. Not even the Quidditch Final felt like this. At least that held less of a chance of dying," Viktor said and mounted his broom.

"Yeah… now you don't even know what you're facing," Harry responded, in the hopes of learning whether Viktor really knew about the dragons.

Viktor hesitated, floating up to Harry's height, watching him thoughtfully. "Do you know what we are facing?"

Harry wasn't sure whether or not to tell at first. After a little bit he decided that he didn't want to lie. So he nodded. Viktor confirmed his suspicions by saying:

"Dragons."

"Yeah," Harry breathed. "Have a plan?"

"I think so. You?"

Harry nodded again.

Instead, Ginny did, or Ron and Neville did. Later in the evening, Fred and George banged Bludgers at him to simulate fire, a snap of jaws, a swipe of a paw or, in the Horntail's case, the tail. It was invaluable practice. Harry reminded himself to thank them for the help if he survived the dragons.

Harry felt that he was in a state of panic Tuesday morning. He felt sick and his stomach seemed to coil and uncoil all morning. He couldn't sit still. The breakfast would have been ignored if not for Ginny, who practically forcefed him scones with Devonshire cream and jam before shoving him down the corridors after Hermione, Ron and Neville for History of Magic, and then Potions. Before last year, Snape would probably have yelled at him for his lack of focus, but now he only received cold glares. Lunch went even worse than breakfast. Ginny, who had been overcome by nerves too, was in as bad a state as he, and neither of them ate much.

Professor McGonagall came to collect Harry at lunch, and she looked just as anxious as Ginny, and didn't act anything like her usual self.

"Good luck, Harry," Hermione said, and was echoed by the Ron, Fred, George and Neville. Ginny stood and gave him a kiss.

"I love you. Come back to me, alright?"

He nodded faintly. "I'll try my best." He noticed that his voice was thick, and even shaking a little. "I love you too. More than anything else in the world." He pressed a tender kiss to the tip of her freckled nose before Professor McGonagall showed him out of the Great Hall, all eyes at his back.

After an attempt to reassure him, McGonagall left him outside a tent that had been erected outside the dragon enclosure. Viktor was there, looking even surlier than usual. He barely acknowledged Harry when he entered. Fleur looked pale and clammy, compared to her usually composed demeanour. Diggory was pacing, and managed a faint smile at Harry when he spotted him.

Harry kept checking over and over that his wand was in the pocket of his robes. At last he resorted to holding it in his hand. He was standing, or walking like Cedric, way too uneasy to sit down. This time the overenthusiastic Bagman managed to annoy Harry to the level that he felt his magic reaching out. He explained to them what they were to do at the task – to get a golden egg.

Soon after hundreds and hundreds of feet were heard as the audience passed on the way to the stands. Harry felt Ginny passing by like a light in the darkness. Pausing, he clung to her in his mind and showed her all the love that he possessed for her. Then he returned to his pacing.

For Harry it seemed like seconds before Bagman opened the purple drawstring bag that he was carrying. "Ladies first," he said, beaming jovially at Fleur, who approached it with a wary look on her face and put her and into the bag.

She pulled out a miniscule copy of the Welsh Green with the number two around his neck. Her lack of surprise confirmed Harry's suspicion; Madame Maxime had told her about the dragons. _Lucky her_ , Harry thought enviously, knowing that the Welsh Green was the one out of the four dragons most likely to shy away from humans.

Next up was Diggory. He looked green in the face. He pulled out the model of the Swedish Shortsnout. It had the number one around his neck. Viktor got the Chinese Fireball, the number three around its neck. Harry cursed inwardly. That left only the Hungarian Horntail for him; the worst of them all.

"Well, there you are!" Bagman said enthusiastically, "you have each pulled the dragon that you will face, and with the number which refer to the order in which you will face the dragons? Now, I am going to commentate, so I have to leave in a moment. Mr. Diggory, you're first, so just go out in the enclosure when you hear the whistle. Harry – could I have a word?"

Harry turned and looked at him before shaking his head. "No – I – I've got a plan," he said.

Bagman looked slightly uncertain, but then he nodded and left, the sides of the entrance flapping as he passed through them. No more than a minute later the sound of a whistle was heard.

"Good luck, Diggory," Harry said.

Cedric nodded. "We've faced worse, Potter," he replied, his voice unsteady, and left the tent.

Fleur watched them with curiosity, which disappeared within moments as the crowd roared, quickly followed by the roar of the Swedish Shortsnout. Harry consciously did not look into Ginny's mind. He didn't want to know what the others did, and he certainly didn't want to see the dragons, lest he'd be sick right there. Krum swayed sightly, and Fleur had taken to pacing the floor. Bagman's commentating pierced the thin walls of the tent. Harry wanted to shut them out; they only made him feel worse.

After a while of gasping and shouting from the audience they broke into a loud cheer and chanted: "Diggory! Diggory! Diggory!" Apparently, Diggory had gotten the egg.

The whistle blew again, and Fleur left, her fair face pale as snow, and trembling. The same process began again, with the comments from Bagman, the yells and gasps from the crowd, and the roars and bangs from the Common Welsh, which apparently wasn't as docile as Harry had thought.

 _If that was the Common Welsh, what will the Horntail be like?_ He wondered, but Ginny for once didn't answer. The spike of relief told him everything he needed to know when Fleur finished.

Viktor held out his hand for Harry to shake before he left. Harry did it automatically, and then he was alone. He could only listen to the audience and the dragon and the steady flow of words that came from Bagman. In reality all he wanted to do was to sit down and cry.

He didn't get that far. Krum finished, and Harry felt his heartbeat skyrocket as his name was called out. His body moved on its own accord, out of the tent, between the trees, through a gap in the fence to the enclosure and paused in front of the large audience and the Horntail. She was crouched low over her clutch of eggs, the golden one standing out against the ordinary grayish eggs. Her yellow eyes watched him hatefully as she curled her long, scaly wings protectively around her eggs.

He lifted his wand and summoned his Firebolt. The time to wait seemed endless. The crowd swam before him, one face floating over into the one beside it. He knew exactly where Ginny was, but he didn't dare look at her. Instead he looked up in the air for his Firebolt. It took merely seconds.

He took it and launched into the air like a rocket. The faces turned into pink spots, and the Horntail to a toy dragon. His nerves disappeared; he was where he belonged. Everything felt right. His fear was left on the ground.

Using some diversion tactics he and Ron had worked out, he dived. As the Horntail's head followed him, he knew what was coming, and, pretending it was a Bludger from George, he pulled out and changed direction just in time to see a torrent of flames roaring past his left side. People shouted, and so did Bagman.

"Great scott – that boy can fly! Mr. Krum, are you watching this?"

Harry ignored him. He soared higher, flying circles above the Horntail. It'd make her dizzy enough, but the disadvantage would be the fire that would come any –

He had to dive to avoid it, and dived down underneath the tail, which she swung in an attempt to hit him. Then he began to play with her. Egging her on like a snake tamer with a snake as he lifted higher and higher, just out of reach. She roared at him, but he just continued, trying to push her to lift off the ground. He missed a torrent of flames by a rather spectacular manoeuvre, which had her roaring, and the crowds cheering. Below him, the individual people were so small that if he hadn't had his eagle vision, he wouldn't have been able to separate them from one another.

Then Harry saw her front feet began to lift, and her mighty wings lift to beat downwards. He was already moving as she reared. Hurling towards the ground, he distantly heard the crowd gasp. The egg gleamed in the light below him, golden like a Snitch. He stretched out the length of the broom to reduce drag.

Ginny had seen him fly loads of times before, although this was different. This was no training session; this was real. He seemed like a blur of black, just a shadow without any form. A bullet. Around her there were shrieks as he dived lower and lower. Ginny sat stiffly, watching him with mind and eyes, her heart pumping with fear.

Harry snatched the egg as he flattened himself below the dragon's still rearing body, nearly scrubbing his right knee against the ground. He then angled away with a burst of speed to get out of the reach of the Horntail and over the audience, who met him with a loud roar that reminded him of the Irish crowd at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Look at that!" Bagman shouted, "Look at _that!_ Our youngest champion was the quickest to get the egg – and in such a spectacular way too! I'd love to see him fly against Mr. Krum, I would!"

Harry beamed in relief as he soared over Ginny's head. He saw her standing between Ron and Luna Lovegood, the latter of whom was applauding with much more modesty than the Weasleys. In the enclosure the dragon tamers were already working to subdue the livid Horntail. Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and Moody were hurrying over to the entrance to the enclosure, and enthusiastically waved him towards them, smiles evident on their faces.

His heart felt lighter than it had since they had discovered Crouch's deploy. He had finished the first task, and he had survived! He'd even gotten through it unharmed.

"That was excellent, Potter!" Professor McGonagall cried as he got off his Firebolt. He was then nearly knocked off his feet as Hagrid clapped his back several times.

"Well done, Harry!" he boomed happily, "yeh did it! Yeh did it, Harry! Even when Charlie said the Horntail was the worst of 'em all!"

And then Professor McGonagall, with a wide smile on her face, showed him to the seats where Viktor and Fleur were seated. Viktor gave him a rare smile.

"Well done! I didn't know this was what you were practicing for when we were flying!" he said in Bulgarian.

Harry smiled. "I can thank you for your help and advices, though. Wouldn't be alive without them."

"As if!" Viktor laughed. "You wouldn't have needed my guidance for that!"

Fleur merely threw a swift glance at him and ignored him otherwise.

Seconds later Ginny arrived, sprinting towards him before she launched herself at Harry, who yelped and nearly fell off his chair before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly in return. She didn't speak; Harry was certain she wouldn't be able to if she tried. He enjoyed the feeling of her burying herself against his chest, and gently muttered words into her ear, assuring her that he was perfectly fine, if only a little shaken.

"You did it, Harry!" Neville's yell had him look up again, and he saw him running towards them, followed by Ron and Hermione.

"That was bloody brilliant, mate!" Ron declared loudly, earning a glare from Madam Pomfrey, "Viktor didn't even think of flying; he used the Cunjunctivitis Curse to blind the Fireball, and then it stomped on all the other eggs – "

"He got reduced points for it," Neville said, throwing a shy look in Viktor's direction, "but he's still in the lead. Fleur's last. Her skirt caught fire when she put the dragon in a sleeping trance, and it snored and blew fire at her."

Fleur stiffened a little and stuck her nose up in the air with indignation.

"Did you get hurt, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously. When Harry looked at her, he noticed that her face had marks from were her nails had dug in.

"Not at all. Gin's only overreacting," he joked, which earned him a slap. Then he found her lips on his; fiercely and demanding, but still full with love and relief.

"Don't scare me like that, Harry," she muttered, still clinging to him as he straightened up. She straddled his lap.

"Sorry, love. I can't promise you that."

Only now could Harry see the judges; they were seated in raised chairs draped with gold, and the sea of faces were watching them with anticipation when they gave the last scores. All in all, Harry was satisfied with the score that put him tied with Viktor, who seemed satisfied as well.

The students began to stand to get back to the castle. "Will you let go of me, so I can stand?"

Ginny merely shook her head, so Harry used the strength that he'd worked on for Quidditch purposes, and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, refusing to look up as he carried down from the stands.

"Hello, you guys! Well done, Harry! That was some awesome flying!" Charlie approached them from where they kept the stunned dragons. A wide smile was covering his freckled face. "What's up with you, sis?"

Ginny muttered something unintelligible, but Harry got the message of her worry and kissed the bare skin of her neck. "She was just worried," he explained to Charlie, who shrugged.

"Well, I just had to see you… I've got to write to mum; I promised to send her an owl and let her know how it went. She was worried too. Oh, and Bagman wants a word in the champion's tent." And then he walked off.

Hermione, Ron and Neville were content with waiting outside. Only Ginny refused to. Harry realized that nearly losing him to a dragon must have been an awful reminder of how close to death he came in the Chamber two years ago, so he caved in and brought her inside. It was like having one's worst nightmare nearly become truth. Contrary to Ginny, Harry felt as if he was still soaring on his Firebolt that Ron was holding for him.

The previously cold and unfriendly tent now seemed welcoming and warm. He sat down in a chair to wait, and started to stroke Ginny's back to comfort her. She was crying; he felt her wet cheek against his and her shaking body.

"It's alright now, firefly," he muttered lovingly. "I'm not going anywhere."

But Ginny didn't dare to release him. It was as if having him there was just a dream, and that he would soon go away, and the mere thought made her want to break down and cry. She didn't acknowledge the other champions as they entered either.

Cedric slid into the chair next to Harry, watching Ginny with a small frown. He then glanced at Harry. "She's remembering the Chamber, isn't she?"

Harry nodded mutely and looked up as Bagman entered. He beamed at them. "Well done, _all_ of you!" he said, looking very pleased, as if he was the one passing the dragons. "Now, just a few quick words. You've got a long, nice break before your next task, which will take place at half past nine in the morning of February twenty-fourth – but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! The eggs you are holding can be opened. Inside you will find your clue, which you will have to solve. It will tell you what the second task is, and allow you to prepare for it. All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!" he said brightly.

"Will you get up now?" Harry muttered into Ginny's ear. She shook her head vehemently, reinforcing her grip on him as he tried to turn her face and make her look at him. It took some encouraging, but by the time she did so, Bagman and Fleur had left.

He looked into her teary brown eyes. "See… I'm still here, Gin."

She sniffled and hugged him again _._ "I just kept imagining you dead in front of that Horntail, just like those nightmares about you killed by the Basilisk. If… if I really lost you, Harry, I have no idea what I'd do…" she swallowed thickly, her shaky breath calming a little as he stroked her back.

"Let's go back up to the castle, hm?" He pressed a kiss to her cheek, but when she didn't make any move to get up, he figured he'd have to carry her again. He thanked Oliver Wood for working in such a muscle and condition building regime in the Quidditch practices, that Harry had continued with them over the summers out of habit. It paid off in situations like these.

He lifted her up to his waist again and supported her with his arms below her bum.

"Ginny, really!" Ron exclaimed when he saw her still hanging on Harry. She didn't respond, and Harry merely smiled back to his best mate before walking back up to the castle.

They had just reached halfway through the forest when a witch jumped out from behind them. Rita Skeeter was posed, ready to write, wearing acid-green robes that matched the Quick-Quote Quill perfectly. Harry eyed her with disgust as she beamed at him.

"Congratulations, Harry!" she said, "I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How do you feel now, about the fairness of the scores?" She then eyed Ginny with interest. "And about your young wife – how did you come to get married?"

"You can have a word; good-bye," Harry growled and stalked off, leaving behind a very put-out Skeeter.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Harry and Ginny skived off from the partying in the Gryffindor Common Room after dinner, and spent the evening in their dorm, catching up with homework as they basked in each other's presence.

However, past eight in the evening, Fred and George burst inside, dragging them both downstairs.

"We want to see the egg!" George said.

"We want to hear the clue – bring it along," Fred agreed, pausing to snatch the egg from their desk.

Harry and Ginny could only follow with some reluctance into the noisy common room, where the whole house was gathered.

"Shush!" Fred declared, climbing up on a table, "Harry's going to open the egg!" He threw it at Harry, who caught it.

 _What can you tell from it?_ Ginny asked staying near him.

Harry, who hadn't picked up any information on the egg from Crouch's mind, had to study it on his own, wthout any previous clues of how it worked. _It's really not easy to work out by studying the magic. Most of it is what is attaching its content to the insides; the contents aren't… really magical in itself – or, a little, I suppse. It's connected to water._

"Open it, Harry!" Ron shouted enthusiastically.

Harry put his nails into the groove that ran along the edges and pried it open. A horrible screechy wailing filled the room. People covered their ears, and Harry really understood why, because it was really awful.

"Shut it!" George bellowed over the noise. But Harry didn't at once. He listened with his face scrunched up in thought for another few moments, and then slammed it shut.

People sagged in relief.

"What was that?" Seamus demanded, "it sounded like a banshee – you think it's a banshee, Harry?"

Neville shook his head indignantly, looking pale, "it sounded like someone being tortured!"

"No…" Harry began, "it's not a banshee. And not someone being tortured either," Harry paused and looked at Ginny meaningfully. "Mermish, don't you agree?" They had heard it several times in their sound books for learning languages, and were able to recognize it, but not understand it. Not that it was needed in this case; it would change once they got it into water.

"Are you going into the Great Lake, Harry?" Alicia Spinnet asked.

Harry smiled and sat down in a chair, placing the egg on the top of the table that Fred was still standing on. "Most likely, yeah."

Fred leaped down, forcing Ginny to leap out of the way and into Harry's lap. Harry gave a grunt at the impact and waited patiently until she had settled down before he wrapped his arms around her.

"Custard Cream, Harry?" George offered him a tray of Custard Creams, but Harry fortunately wasn't fooled. George's wide grin and the magic radiating from them had him reach out and take Ginny's hand as she was about to take one.

"Try to fool me, and I won't let you produce your pranks at Potter Palace anymore," he threatened.

George quickly backed off and went on to try to fool others. Soon enough Seamus turned into a large canary, soon after joined by Katie Bell, who chirped angrily at Fred and tried to hack at his head. Within a minute, however, their feathers shed, and they turned back to the usual selves, good as new.

"Canary Creams! George and I invented them! Seven sickles apiece; a bargain!" Fred shouted to the excited crowd.

Snatching the Golden Egg Harry and Ginny saw their moment to leave for some peace in their room.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

"Well done, Potter," Professor McGonagall said as she picked up the guinea pig that he had transfigured. "You too, Longbottom." Neville handed her his guinea pig, which was flawless, a feat that he claimed he wouldn't have been able to do a year ago and without Harry's patient guidance. In front of them, Ron had managed to transfigure his guinea fowl as well.

"Will you all listen for a moment before you leave? It is tradition that during the TriWizard Tournament, a Yule Ball will be held. It is open for fourth years and above, but younger may attend if an older student invites them.

"Now, the Ball is a chance for us to… er… let our hair down, but that does not imply that we will be relaxing our standard of behaviour and embarrass the House of Gryffindor, in which case I will be most displeased.

"The Yule Ball begins at eight on Christmas Eve and lasts until midnight in the Great Hall. You will have to wear dress robes."

The bell rang, and the class scurried to pack their things and get out, chatting excitedly about the Yule Ball – or at least the girls did. Harry saw Ron scowling displeased.

"Potter!" Harry paused and turned to look at Professor McGonagall, who waved him up to her desk.

"I'll catch up with you," Harry told Ron, Hermione and Neville, who were pausing by the door. "Yes, Professor?"

"You and your partner – Mrs. Potter – will be opening the Ball. It is a tradition that the Champions start the Ball with a dance."

"A dance, Professor?" Harry asked, swallowing thickly, feeling his insides squirm. He was distantly aware of Ginny listening curiously as she was rounding up Arithmancy along with Luna Lovegood.

"Certainly, Mr. Potter. You do know how to dance, I assume?"

"Well, yes, a little bit, but – "

"Good," Professor McGonagall said and sent him off for lunch.

 _Sweet Merlin! Dance in front of several hundred people?_ Harry complained to Ginny as he jogged down the stairs to the Great Hall.

 _It'll be fine, Harry. We'll do great._ The few times they had messed around in the Ball Room at Potter Palace couldn't have been called really impressive dance, but at least they could follow the rhythm without stepping on each other's toes in something that looked slightly like dancing.

 _You'll go with me, right?_ Harry asked.

 _Of course._

 _D'you think we should practice more?_ Harry suggested.

Ginny gave him a suggestive mental smile. _Do you want to?_

 _Oh. All the things I want to do with you, love,_ he replied, his tone teasing.

 _I meant dancing, Harry. Mum would have our hides if we did anything more than kissing before I turn sixteen._

 _She can't see into our bed anyway,_ Harry complained, but left the matter be.

Unlike Harry, Ron was struggling somewhat. Harry caught him eyeing Hermione nervously over lunch, so he held him back a little as they walked to Potions.

"You should ask her soon, you know. Before anyone else does. Several blokes have already asked Ginny," Harry informed him.

Ron's face paled. "But what if she says no?"

Harry chuckled. "I doubt she will. She's only waiting for you to ask her. She's your girlfriend, isn't she? She's expecting you to ask her."

"Oh." Ron straightened up, looking a little more confident. "Hermione! Wait up!" He jogged to catch up with her, and Neville joined Harry's side instead.

"Good thinking, Harry. Do you think he would have asked at all?"

"Probably not before it was too late."

Neville nodded in agreement. "So, Ginny agreed, right?"

Harry nodded. "Are you going to ask Hannah?" he had to hide a smile when he saw Neville's cheeks turn pink. "Yes; I only hope she says yes."

"Good luck, mate," Harry said with a grin and entered the Potions classroom behind Ron and Hermione, both now wearing wide smiles. Ron's arm was casually flung around her shoulders, and remained there until they had taken place in the front. He turned and gave Harry a thumbs up.

The Christmas holiday came upon them fast, what with everything that was going on. They visited Hagrid, who was still trying to figure out how the Blast-Ended Screwts were, which had them all dreading the Care of Magical Creatures class. The teachers put an even larger amount of school work on them, under the explanation that the O. would be upon them in a year and a half. Hermione readily agreed; she was already talking about starting her revision.

Snape was his usual sour self, but the less hostile attitude towards Harry and Neville, who had been his prime targets, made him far easier to deal with. His potions classes were now bordering on fun, not only for Harry and Neville, who enjoyed brewing nonetheless, but also for their fellow classmates, when Snape was less likely to bark at Harry, Neville or Hermione for explaining something for them.

Malfoy had taken to giving Harry a wide berth, and had managed much better in potions than he had last year. He merely threw cold looks at Crabbe and Goyle when they had to give in and ask Harry for help after they had given up asking Snape for help. Harry, while not delighted to help a pair of Slytherins, had nevertheless patiently explained to them why counting wrong was such a giant error in brewing, while it wasn't in general cooking.

With the first task done, Viktor had regained his focus on keeping his seeker shape up, and wanted Harry to practice with him.

"Why?" Harry asked Wednesday after the first task, "I mean, what would you need _me_ for? I'm just an amateur fourteen year old kid?"

Viktor raised a brow at him and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've told you before, Harry," he began, speaking Bulgarian so not to be overheard by the curious third years watching them a few seats further down the Gryffindor table, "You force me to push my limits."

"Just go, Harry," Ginny said, smiling, "it'll benefit you as well. Soon, you'll be an professional seeker as well!"

The first day of the holidays Harry decided that it was time to take the Golden Egg underwater just to listen to the contents, just to be sure that it didn't throw anything secret upon him.

"The problem is where," Harry said, looking over his friends, who were gathered in the lounge behind the Tapestry, "of course, the bathtub would've suffice for myself only, but if you allkeep insisting to hear it with me, that won't be large enough."

"That's no problem," said Hermione brightly, "we just go into the Great Lake!"

"That's easy for you to say," George said, "we're not aquatic animagi! We'll freeze to death!"

"It's a great opportunity to test Gillyweed," Neville suggested, "is it possible, Harry? For all of us, I mean?"

"Yes, I can just ask Dobby to buy some for us," Harry said. He called on Dobby, who appeared with a loud crack.

"Master Harry, sir!" he squeaked happily, "Master Harry Potter has called on Dobby again! I has been wondering if Master Harry had forgotten Dobby?"

"No, no! Not at all," Harry assured him. "How are things at home?"

"Boring, Master, if Dobby may say so!" Dobby said honestly, earning a chuckle from Harry, "Mister Sirius and Mister Remus are not needing Winky and I so very much."

"Is that so?" Harry inquired. "Would you rather want to come here and work at the kitchens during the school year?"

"Dobby is not wanting to not work for Harry Potter!" Dobby began worriedly, his long fingers tugging at the hem of the shirt that Ginny had made for him.

"I meant only while Ginny and I are at Hogwarts too."

Dobby perked up eagerly at the sound of work. "Dobby will, Master, but Dobby will ask Winky too!"

"Good. Now, I called you because I've got a small mission for you." Harry pulled out his bag of Galleons and handed it to Dobby. "Could you and Winky to go to the Apothecary and get me three jars of Gillyweed? Those large jars – you know which ones I mean?"

Dobby nodded, his ears flapping. "Dobby and Winky will go at once!" he declared and disappeared.

"Three jars, Harry?" Ron asked, sounding confused.

"Yes. Those large ones contain enough for three people, although I expect Hermione would rather use her form?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I would like to try the Gillyweed too. I can't hold my breath for an hour, you know. No otter can."

"Maybe we should map out the Lake while we're at it," Ron suggested, "so you can know what to expect? I mean, I doubt Hagrid's Screwts handle water well, but if there are anything like those Grindylows at Potter Palace – " Ron shuddered, and Harry didn't need to guess why. Grindylows were water demons that were kept by the merpeople as pets, and mostly fed on fish, algae or other creatures, although they were known to eat humans as well.

"Good thinking, Ron," Ginny agreed.

Ten minutes later there were two cracks as both Dobby and Winky appeared, carrying three jars of what looked like slimy, green rat tails. They shoved them into Ginny's lap, as she was sitting on the floor, leaning against his legs.

"Oh! Great, thanks!" she said, picking up one to study the content. "Did you have any trouble?"

"Not at all, Mistress Ginny," Winky said, "the shopkeeper asks Winky, he asks Winky who is her master, and Winky says, Harry Potter is the greatest Master there is, and the shopkeeper smiles and asks Winky and Dobby to pay sixteen sickles." She handed Harry the money bag.

"Sixteen sickles?" Harry asked with surprise, "were they on sale?"

Dobby shook his head. "No, Master. Dobby saw the sign; two galleons ten sickles for a jar, but the shopkeeper says sixteen sickles, so Dobby gives him sixteen sickles."

"D'you think he knew about the second task?" Ron asked, looking from Harry to Hermione.

"He can't have," Hermione reasoned, "how could he, if he's not employed at the Ministry?"

"Perhaps he's got someone he knows that work at the Ministry," Neville suggested, shrugging as everybody looked at him. "Just a thought."

"Still…" Harry muttered and looked at Dobby and Winky again. "Next time that happens, be sure to pay the full price, unless there is a very good reason for you not to, alright?"

The house-elves nodded in understanding.

"Winky, I offered Dobby to work in the kitchen here if he wanted to; he told me it was too boring at Potter Palace. The offer stands for you too."

"Winky will stay at Hogwarts while Master and Mistress is here!" Winky squeaked, happy at the prospect of more work.

"Good. Thanks for your help. You can go now," Harry said, smiling at them.


	30. The Giant and the Beetle

"So, what do we do if we're separated?" Ron asked, toying with his wand. He was standing by the edge of the Forbidden Forest, out of sight of both the castle and the Durmstrang ship, staring with uncertainty into the dark, cold water of the Great Lake. He wore a shirt and shorts, and his bare feet were still inside his shoes.

Beside him Fred and George were already standing with their feet in the icy water, chewing their handful of Gillyweed.

"Just do the message Patronus," Harry said, stepping out of his shoes. He'd spent a lot of time teaching the Patronus charm and the message Patronus to Neville, Hermione, Ron and the twins, and they had finally gotten a hang of it. "It'll show better than humans in murky water." He put the Gillyweed into his mouth and chewed on the slimy and rubbery substance. It was rather disgusting.

Hermione ran past him and shrieked as she threw herself into the water. Then she disappeared beneath the surface, already having swallowed her Gillyweed. Harry forced the Gillyweed down his throat too, and was moments after overcome with the sensation of something covering his nose and mouth, preventing him from breathing. A piercing pain was felt on the sides of his neck, and Harry reached up to touch what he realized must be the gills. Hermione was splashing in the water in front of him with a webbed hand to urge him on; he burst forward and into the water, taking a merciful gulp of water, and then another one, feeling it flow effortlessly across his gills. Looking around, he saw Fred and George doing acrobatics further into the depth, and Hermione beaming at him, testing out the elongated flippers grown on her feet. Ginny splashed into the water beside him, and after testing her gills, swam over to join Fred and George.

Ron's tall body then floated past Harry. His eyes were wide in awe as he looked around, studying the rocky bottom and his webbed hands. Neville swam in a circle to find out how his new additions worked, and after a few seconds turned to look at Harry, pointing meaningfully at the Golden Egg, which Harry was holding.

Nodding, Harry prised it open with his finger nails. Unlike the awful screeches that the egg had made up on dry land, he now heard a choir of eerie voices singing from the egg.

 _Come seek us where our voices sound,_

 _We cannot sing above the ground,_

 _And while you're searching, ponter this:_

 _We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

 _An hour long you'll have to look,_

 _And recover what we took,_

 _But past an hour – the prospect's black,_

 _Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

Ginny, Fred, George, Ron and Hermione had turned their attention to the egg as soon as they'd heard the song. There was a long silence before Neville grabbed his wand. A silver wolverine emerged from its tip; it stopped in front of them all and spoke with Neville's voice.

"What does it mean? Will it take money?"

Hermione answered before anyone else got to, her silver otter swimming around in the water, but causing no stirring. "No. It says what Harry will sorely miss… Harry, what would you miss the most if it was taken from you?"

"The Invisibility Cloak, perhaps?" Fred suggested.

Harry didn't have to think long before he summoned his eagle. "No. I wouldn't care for anything material. I'd miss friendship. And family. And most of all Ginny. That's what I'm worrying about. I think they are aiming towards people."

Again, the silence was deafening. Harry looked at Ginny. She didn't look or feel frightened at all.

 _You – you're not afraid?_ He asked.

She smiled at him and shook her head. _No. I've got no reason to be afraid. I've got you._

Harry couldn't hold back a small smile and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. He cast his patronus again. "The song means that I'm supposed to follow the sound of their song, right?" He looked at Hermione, who nodded in agreement.

"But the Great Lake is exactly that – great!" Ron pointed out.

"We'll just have to get going, then," Ginny said.

Harry struck out, marvelling at the speed which his flippers propelled him forward. With the others right behind. Within moments they were out on deeper water, where they could no longer see the bottom.

They angled deeper, moving effortlessly through the seaweed that grew up from the bottom like a large forest. Fish swam past, scurring away frightened when Harry got too close or Fred attempted to reach out to grab one.

Harry could feel the magic belonging to Grindylows swimming beneath them in the seaweed, and held his wand ready, peering into the darker depths of the weed as they swam overhead. As of yet they hadn't tried to attack, and Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Neville, Ron and Fred and George could investigate in peace.

"What are we really looking for?" Ron's lion asked after a while.

They all paused and looked at each other.

"If it's the merfolk that is supposed to have taken Ginny, wouldn't make sense that we'll have to find their village?" George asked, not noticing his use of "we" rather than "Harry".

"Perhaps we should split up? Go in pairs?"

"Good idea. Ginny, you can go with Hermione; you and Harry can stay in contact. I go with Harry. Fred and George, you work best together," Ron said.

Harry couldn't help but agree with this statement, so they split apart.

The strength of magic as they came closer was overwhelming. There could be no doubt as to where the mervillage was now. The structures in itself held little magic, except for the unique magic given it by its inhabitants. But the congregation of several hundred merfolk swimming about was easily noticeable. He warned Ron before they swam through the last rows of seaweed to an open area where a large rock towered up from the ground. Crude paintings of merfolk chasing the Giant Squid with spears were portayed on it. They swam on, the sound of a Mermish song penetrating the silence. From what Harry could gather of it, it made no sense.

Several stone dwellings covered with alage appeared in the murky water. Through some of the dark windows Harry saw faces that belonged to some of the merpeople. Grayish pale skin and yellow eyes that had Harry shudder. Broken teeth and dark green hair gave them no resemblance whatsoever to the fair sirens he knew existed around the Mediterranean. A few were outside, caring for their grindylow pets or tending to their small patches of seaweed, which Harry assumed was their kind of garden. Long, powerful tails shimmered in silvery hues from the few sunrays that reached down through the dark water.

Ginny, who had picked up on his arrival, was leading Hermione in the same direction. She sent a patronus to Fred and George to show them the way.

 _Is it likely that it will be here?_ Harry asked, _It just seems too easy._

 _We've managed to avoid the grindylows this time, but who knows what might happen during the task, Harry? They might even add other magical traps,_ Ginny said. She and Hermione caught up with Harry and Ron as they swam over the village.

Harry took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. _I'm worried about you,_ he admitted.

She gave him a soft smile. _If it really is me that they are going to take, which I don't really think, then you'd find me quickly anyway. Our bond will guide you, like it always does._

In the middle of the village a large statue of a mermaid was erected. It was very noticeable, and was something that could be seen from a distance, even through the murky water. Harry saved it in his memory for a guidance to the mervillage.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

On Boxing Day the whole school woke up to a picture of Hagrid splattered over the front page of the Prophet. An article by Rita Skeeter slandered about Hagrid, containing speculation from unreliable sources (implying Malfoy) about his being half-bred giant.

" _Blood-thirsty_! _Brutal_! I've never met anyone _less_ brutal than Hagrid!" Ginny fumed, her hands shaking in anger.

"How in the world did she figure out all that?" Ron asked, leaning over Hermione to look.

"I'd bet you anything that awful Skeeter woman has been spying!" said Hermione, "didn't you say you overheard Hagrid talking to Madame Maxime about it, Harry?"

"Yes, Ginny and I had gone out for a breath of air, only. But I didn't feel her magic there, either beetle or human..."

"Or perhaps you were too busy to notice," Neville said knowingly.

Harry blushed. "Shut up, Nev, or we'll tell what you and Hannah did," he replied.

Neville merely grinned at him.

"Dangers with associating with half-giants… filthy monster! I just want to tear her to pieces," Ginny said darkly, shredding the _Prophet_ between her hands.

"Then do that," Harry agreed, "just wait until she's in a beetle form. Then no-one can blame you, because you had no way of knowing she was an animagus."

Ginny smiled evilly and got up, hurrying out of the Great Hall.

Harry tried, although futilely, to get to Hagrid, who had disappeared after the awful article came out. The curtains of his cabin were drawn shut, and when Harry and his friends knocked, the only response they got was Fang barking and whining behind the door. Their last hope was to find him in Hogsmeade on Saturday.

"Hey, Viktor! Do you want to join us to Hogsmeade?" Ginny shouted, waving at Viktor, who was climbing out of the Great Lake after a swim as they reached the Durmstrang ship.

"Yes, I vill just change first," he called back and and disappeared inside the ship.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Neville waited no more than ten minutes before Viktor came back out, his fur robe tightly wrapped around him and a fur hat in his hand.

"Hov is it going vith the egg, Harry?" he asked, pulling his hat over his ears, "haff you solved it?"

"Yes. I assume you have too, judging by the bath?" Harry wondered, wrapping an arm around Ginny's waist as they walked along the downtrodden path in the snow.

"I haff, yes. It is not so tricky, once you know vot to do, I am thinking. Vot about Fleur or Cedric? Haff they…?"

"I haven't talked to Fleur, but I don't think Cedric hasn't gotten the clue yet," Harry said, "I just hope he does before the task, or he'll have to be very good at spontaneous magic."

"Isn't that what this all is about?" Neville asked, "the tournament, I mean? Great wizards are creative and study the situation their magic is required to act in."

"That's what we think as well," Ginny said, unneccessarily gesturing towards Harry.

The lively chat moved on to different subjects as they walked. Behind them a few Ravenclaws, including their Seeker, who Harry had played last year, Cho Chang. According to rumors, she was Cedric's girlfriend too. Harrry didn't particularly care much about her. He was of course impressed by her flying skills, but he didn't really know her.

"Should we go to to the Three Broomsticks last? Before we head back up to the castle?" Ginny suggested.

"I vood like to taste one of these infamous butterbeers that they keep talking about here," Viktor agreed, "is it true that you can get drunk from it?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "No. Not humans at least. The amount of alcohol is too small. A house-elf however… Ginny and I've got two elves at home, and they decided one evening to have a drink of a bottle butterbeer each, and they got really drunk," Harry said, earning a bark of laughter from Viktor.

"Dobby's got a near phobia of butterbeer now," Neville said, smiling at the memory, "he keeps telling us not to drink any butterbeer at all, and once tried to hide all the butterbeer that Sirius had bought."

"Do you live vith Harry and Ginny?" Viktor asked Neville with wonder.

"No, but nearly. I spent nearly the whole summer at theirs," Neville said. "The Weasleys and Hermione did so as well."

Hogsmeade covered in snow looked like something pulled straight out of a fairytale. The usually quiet village was bustling with life thanks to all the students that were walking up and down the main street. Ice-framed windows displayed bottles of ink with the brightest of colours, extravagant quills or stacks of sweets or joke products. Harry saw two blobs of red hair slip into Zonko's in the distance as he pushed open the door to Honeydukes.

The crowd in there was already thick, and the rather large group had to push themselves through to get to the goods that they wanted.

"Chocoballs!" Ginny said, beaming and stood on her toes to get a box. "Harry, could you help me?"

Harry, being far taller than her, easily reached up and got two boxes which he carried for her. He also added some pear drops and a box of caramel fudge before pushing Ginny away from the Ice Mice.

"We don't need more now," he told her and placed the boxes on the counter in front of Mr. Flume, the owner of the shop.

"But Harry, only a small box of snowball truffles?" Ginny pleaded, giving him a pleading look.

"Ginny, love; you don't eat them. Last time they were left until they were stale," Harry said. "You could just throw real snowballs at Fred and George."

Moments like these were sharp reminders of their true age. Although Ginny had grown up knowing that she in most cases couldn't have what she wanted, she could easily go over-board shopping now that she knew money was available. That was usually why Harry was in charge of the money. He had a slightly more levelled head when coming to money than Ginny, even if he'd grown up with even less than her.

"But – " she began, but a sharp look from Harry put her to silence.

After everyone had paid for their goods in Honeydukes, they headed on to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop on Hermione's insistence.

"I keep saying they should've had a Quidditch shop in Hogsmeade as well," Ron said as they walked on towards Three Broomsticks.

"What, so you can go around looking? You never buy anything anyways," Ginny said.

"As if you don't do that as well!" Ron returned indignantly. "Who's the one who wandered around at Quality Quidditch Supplies for half an hour, and then got out empty-handed?"

"They were out of broomstick servicing kits," Ginny said, glaring at Ron before pushing throgh the door to the Tree Broomsticks.

The pub was as crowded as ever on a Hogsmeade weekend. Unfortunately, Hagrid wasn't there. Harry contemplated on sending him a message patronus later on, but Ginny thought it wasn't such a good idea; you never knew who he was with, and could overhear it. Bagman was there, however, sitting by a table in the corner, discussing with some angry-looking goblins.

"Harry! Mr. Krum! How are you?" Harry startled when the bubbly man came over, bobbing between a flock of Hufflepuff girls as they stared at Viktor, looking rather relieved to get away from the goblins, who looked even madder now. " I've been hoping to run into you," he said without waiting for a response. "Could you spare me a word in private?"

"Err… yeah, I suppose," Harry said, although he had a nagging suspicion on what Bagman wanted. "Maybe you could find us a table?" he asked and looked at his friends.

He received a nod from Ginny, who lead the way towards a table placed in a dim corner of the pub. Bagman lead Harry to the other end of the bar, opposite of Madam Rosmerta, who was beaming brightly as she served a pair of seventh year boys.

"I have to congratulate you with the Horntail, Harry! I was really impressed. Who taught you how to fly?" Bagman asked.

"Umm… no-one, really, but Viktor's given me a few pointers that have been really useful."

Bagman's brows shot up towards his receding hairline. "You fly with Krum?"

"Yes, sometimes. What was it that you wanted to talk to me about, Mr. Bagman?" Harry asked politely, trying to get the conversation over to something else.

"Oh! Yes! I really wanted to ask you about how you were doing with your egg?"

Harry hesitated and looked around for signs of any eavesdroppers. "You mean how to keep my breath underwater for an hour? I've got it all sorted out, sir. I'm most nervous about whether you'd use humans or objects in the lake."

Bagman's relieved look changed into that of puzzlement. "What put you into that line of thought, Harry?"

"Well, I couldn't care for money or any sort of valuble item – even those with sentimental value – what I'd miss the most is my friends and my family. That's what got me thinking," Harry told him honestly.

"Oh! I see! Someone raised without their parents… I suppose that is a natural way if thinking. You mustn't let anyone know that you learned it from me, then, Harry, but to be honest, we are using humans, yes. You are spot on, Harry. Family and friends; those our champions would miss the most. But I assure you, they will be put into an enchanted sleep. They'll be perfectly safe until the champions retrieve them." He smiled jovially. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to Barty! I just remembered something." He then bounded off out the door.

Harry dumped down on the chair between Viktor and Ron.

Ron was staring distantly into the air, sipping his foaming butterbeer while Viktor was watching Neville's interaction with Hannah Abbott, who had joined them at he table.

"I hope you don't mind, Harry, but Hannah joined us."

"No, of course not. Hi, Hannah," Harry said politely.

"Uh-oh," sounded a warning tone from Ron. Harry glanced at him and followed his gaze towards the door.

Rita Skeeter was walking in, wearing banana yellow this time and her potbellied photographer in tow. Her choice of bright colours reminded Harry of Lockhart, who didn't hesitate to wear bright blue or magenta. Skeeter looked around as she twirled her quill between her fingers. Her nails were painted hot pink; Harry felt Ginny frown in disgust.

They could hear her chatting with great satisfaction to her photographer about something.

"…looked like he was up to something, didn't he, Bozo? We should have followed him and seen what he was up to! Imagine – disgraced ex-head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports – that's a snappy start alright. Now we just need a story to fit in."

"Trying to ruin someone else's life, are you?" Harry snapped loudly, causing her to turn.

Her face broadened into a smile. "Harry!" she said, striding over.

 _Did you have to do that?_ Ginny said annoyedly, shooting deadly glares at Skeeter.

"Why don't you come with me – "

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," Harry returned angrily, "you just had to write that about Hagrid, didn't you?"

"Ah, but the public always wants the truth, Harry!"

"Who cares if Hagrid's a half-giant? There's nothing wrong with him!" He distantly noticed that the pub had gone entirely silent. All eyes were on him, even Madame Rosmerta's, who didn't notice that the flagon that she was filling with mead was overflowing.

Skeeter smiled sweetly. "Maybe you would like to join be to a table for an interview? You could tell me all about the Hagrid _you_ know. Would you say that he was a father figure?"

Ginny shot to her feet as if stung. "You monster! You don't care about anything, do you, other than getting a good story? You don't care if you hurt people or that you throw out the most horrid lies that not even Fred and George would have the conscience to pull! You're as evil as a Death Eater! Even Mr. Bagman – "

"Sit down, you silly girl! You have no idea what you're talking about," Skeeter said coldly. Ginny stood straightly and stared back in defiance. "I know things about Bagman that would make your nails curl." She threw a glance a Harry, "keep your rude wife in control, Harry!"

Harry stood, seething. "Why should I? She's perfectly right. And don't call me Harry. For you it's Mr. Potter," he snapped through gritted teeth. He then found himself being dragged out of the pub by Neville.

"She isn't worth it, Harry. A person who cricitizes and tells lies about other people isn't worth any time to spare," he said, surprisingly calm.

Throwing a glance over his shoulder, he saw Ginny being dragged outside by Ron, and Hermione and Hannah trailing after, throwing hateful glares at Skeeter. Just as Viktor passed her on his way out, he stumbled in a leg of a chair and crashed into Skeeter, who lost her balance and landed on the floor.

"I am sorry," Krum said, although his voice was cold and hard. He then strode after the others outside.

"You shouldn't have upset Skeeter, Ginny," Ron said, "she'll be a right menace to you. She'll probably go digging out something bad about you now."

"I don't care," Ginny seethed, stomping away through the snow, in her anger leaving deeper tracks in the snow than usual.

"I for one agree with Ginny," Hermione said, looking just as furious as Ginny. "she went too far with that article; Hagrid's done nothing to deserve it! I'll get her back for it, I will!"

"Just name it, and I'll help you," Harry said.

"Who is this Hagrid?" Viktor wondered, coming up on Harry's left side.

"He's our gamekeeper and our Care of Magical Creatures professor," Harry said, "kindest man in the world. Wouldn't hurt a fly. I'll say we go to his cabin right now. He can't keep on hiding. It doesn't do him or us any good."

Even Hannah and Viktor joined them to Hagrid's cabin. Viktor because he was curious, and Hannah because while she didn't think much of him as a professor, she liked his gentle manner and didn't at all think that he deserved the slandering he'd received from Skeeter.

Hermione and Ginny hammered fiercely on the door, earning barks from Fang.

"Hagrid! Open up! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! It doesn't change you! You can't let that monstrous Skeeter woman get to you, Hagrid!" shouted Hermione, beating with both of her fists on the door.

"We still love you, Hagrid! It doesn't change who you are, and we want our old Hagrid back!" Ginny yelled, grabbing the handle in an attempt to pull the door open.

Just then someone opened the door from the inside, and Ginny toppled over backwards. Fortunately, Neville managed to catch her, and helped her to her feet. She looked up and saw not Hagrid, but Professor Dumbledore.

"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling at them.

"Err…" Hermione began, "we wanted to see Hagrid."

"I figured as much," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "why don't you come in?"

The group hesitantly trailed inside the cabin, finding Hagrid sitting by the table, a large cup of tea in front of him, and eyes puffy and red. He looked like a real mess, with his hair even more tangled than before, and wilder than Hermione's.

"Hi, Hagrid," Harry said, feeling extremely sorry for his large friend.

Hagrid looked up. "'Lo," he said hoarsely and wiped his nose on a handkerchief the size of a kitchen towel. Hannah and Viktor jumped in surprise at the trumpet-like sound.

Dumbledore waved his wand, causing a tea tray with a mug of steaming tea and a large plate of cakes to appear in mid air. He lowered it to the table as everybody found themselves a seat. It wasn't quite enough, so Harry conjured Neville and himself some chairs. "Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger and Mrs. Potter were shouting, Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked, twirling his wand between his fingers. "They all seem to want to know you, judging by the way they attempted to break down the door. I see they have even brought some other friends to convince you." He nodded to Viktor, who sat relaxed in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest and looking thoughtful, and Hannah, who was holding Neville's hand, smiling kindly to Hagrid.

"Of course we still want to know you!" Harry said, "How could you think that the dumb Skeeter cow – sorry, Professor," Harry quickly apologized to Professor Dumbledore.

"I have gone temporarily deaf, so fear not that I will overhear what you are saying, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said jovially.

Harry could barely hold back a smile of amusement, "right – anyway – you can't really think that we all believe what Skeeter writes? Remember, she slandered about me too, but my friends haven't left me for it, and they don't think bad about me for it, and we haven't stopped wanting to be your friend!"

"Yeh – yeh don' have a giantess fer a mother!" Hagrid croaked.

"I've got the Dursleys. Do you think that's much better?"

Two large tears rolled down Hagrid's face, glistening as they disappeared into his beard.

"An excellent point," Dumbledore said, "my brother Aberforth was persecuted for doing inapropriate spells on a goat. It was all over the newspapers. But do you see him hiding? No; he went on with his business as usual. Although, I'm not entirely certain that he can read, so that might not have been bravery…"

"But you're a Gryffindor, Hagrid, aren't you? You've got to stand up! I had to to Snape; I was terrified of him, and then I used what little courage I have to stand up, and now it's all better!" Neville declared passionately, his hand smacking down on the table.

Hagrid gulped, and more tears leaked out down on his cheeks. His enormous hand was distantly petting Fang's head, which was resting on his knee.

"Lorcan d'Eath, the singer, is a part-vampire. He's not hiding, even though every one knows he is related to vampires," Hannah piped up.

"Please come back and teach," Hermione pleaded, "we want you back."

"I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid," Dumbledore said, standing, "I will see you at breakfast tomorrow at eight thirty. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all." He left the cabin.

When the door had closed, Hagrid hid his face in his hands and sobbed. Hermione patted him awkwardly on the arm, but Ginny braved "I've bin righ' stupid, haven't i?" he muttered gruffly, "me ol' dad would've bin ashamed of me."

Hagrid then procured a photo of himself and his father and told them bits and pieces of his childhood.

"Yeh kind o' reminded me of meself when we met in yer first year, remember, Harry?" Hagrid asked, looking at Harry across the table.

Harry nodded.

"Orphaned, and lookin' like yeh didn' know if yeh'd fit in at Hogwarts… and now yeh're school champion! No offence ter Mr. Krum," Hagrid said, gesturing towards Viktor in the corner, "but I really hope yeh win."

Harry smiled wryly, remembering the cost of winning once he touched the TriWizard Cup.

"How're yeh really doin' with tha' egg, Harry?"

Harry shot a glance at Viktor, who smiled. "Fortunately for you, Viktor's figured it out already too, so I can tell," he said and put up a silencing charm around the cabin. He still remembered Malfoy eavesdropping and looking in through the window in their first year. "We're going to find something in the Great Lake."

Hagrid nodded. "That's righ', tha' is!" he declared with satisfaction. "But I don' hav'ter like yeh swimmin' around in the Great Lake in February, Harry, jus' so tha' said."

"Ve haff to hold our breath for an hour too. I think that that is the dangerous part if one has not figured the clue. The lake does not have many dangers otherwise," Viktor pointed out.

"Grindylows," Hermione said.

"They can be thrown off by a basic Revulsion Jinx," Ginny said.

"Or even better; a body-bind curse," Viktor said, grinning.

Suddenly, Ginny broke out laughing. Everyone looked confused in her direction as she clutched her stomach, shaking. Harry snickered when he saw the images flowing through her mind. He took it upon himself to explain. "Imagine a Grindylow hit by a Bat Bogey Hex. They don't even have a nose," Harry explained, earning giggles and guffaws around the room.


	31. Bugs Bite

The worst of Harry's worries about the second task hadn't settled yet, and probably wouldn't until he had Ginny back on dry land safely. It didn't help much on his morose mood that his Quidditch form was taking an upturn. It reached an all time high so far when Harry, both to his and Viktor's surprise caught the Snitch inches before Viktor a week or so after Hagrid's return.

"I knew it was coming!" Ginny said happily as they walked back to the castle. "Sooner or later you'd get it!"

"To think that _you,_ my best mate, beat the world's best seeker to the Snitch!" Ron nearly bounced as he walked.

"Don't exaggerate, Ron! It was just luck. Viktor probably was distracted for a moment," Harry waved him off. He glanced down at the lake as they rounded the corner of the castle. The task had been occupying his thoughts more and more, and he kept coming up with plan B and C and D and so on, should the others fail, and Ginny would be lost from him. After all, the egg said that he'd never have her back… he shook his head to clear it from the depressing thoughts. It hurt too much just to think about it.

"Harry," Ginny said gently, holding him back with a hand on his arm. "Please don't think like that. You will find me within the hour, I am sure of it. You've got our soul bond to guide you. Should I be in a different place than what we thought, then you just have to follow it."

"It's… It's just that if I can't get you, I'd lose you forever, and I'm not so sure if I can live without you," he said, swallowing a thick lump in his throat.

"But you won't have to, love. You will find me. It's better that it's me than Ron, for instance, because you will find me much easier." Ginny reached up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "It'll be alright."

He looked up to see Ron and Neville waiting for them a few metres away, looking sympathetic.

"Let's go find Hermione," Ron said and flung and arm comfortingly around Harry's shoulders.

Things got even worse when Hermes landed in front of Ginny on Thursday the week before the second task.

"Why is Percy writing already? He sent a letter only two days ago," she said as she untied a copy of Witch Weekly from his leg.

"Why would Percy send you that?" Ron asked, his fork of scrambled eggs pausing between his plate and his mouth. "He doesn't read Witch Weekly."

Ginny took it from him and opened it; a letter fell out with a familiar handwriting.

"It's from mum! But why isn't she using Errol?" Ginny wondered, ignoring the Hermes snatching some bacon from her plate as she unfolded the letter.

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _Skeeter's latest scoop is printed in yesterday's copy of Witch Weekly. I want you to know that I don't believe a word of what she's written about you. It is really nasty, I have to warn you, and I think it must've upset quite a lot of readers who believe Skeeter. I borrowed Hermes, because Errol wouldn't get to Hogwarts fast enough to warn you._

 _Love,_

 _Mum._

Frowning, Ginny turned the magazine and looked at the front page. _Harry Potter's "true" love – see page 4._

"What has she written to make people send this many letters?" Neville wondered, peering across the table at them.

Ginny's frown morphed into a furious scowl similar to Harry's as they read the article together.

"That… that…" Ginny began, but she was way too upset to continue. She flung the magazine at Harry, and instead started to attack her food.

"What does it say, Harry?" Hermione asked, a frown marring her forehead.

Harry scowled in anger and began to read aloud. "'An unusual boy in his ways, but still a very ordinary boy who struggles with the same problems as his peers, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents fourteen years ago, it is no wonder he has found himself a trustworthy life-partner in the girl formerly named Ginny Weasley, who is now Mrs. Ginevra Potter. Or so he thought.

A skinny tomboy, the new Mrs. Potter seems to have gotten the taste of wealth, as the author has remarked in an earlier article. The Weasley family's poverty is as well-known as the Potters' wealth, and one can indeed wonder whatever motive Mrs. Potter had for marrying our great saviour and TriWizard Champion Harry Potter.

Let it not be left out that a soul bond exists between Mr. and Mrs. Potter – how could a boy at the tender age of fourteen agree to such a bond?

"Potter's in my year; I daresay I know him. He would never have agreed to such a commitment. At least not with her! She's so ugly," says Pansy Parkinson, a lively and charming fourth year. "I wouldn't put it past her to use a love potion on him. She's downplaying her knowledge, you see. It prevents people from getting suspicious of her when she breaks rules and such."

It seems like the fact that the young Mrs. Potter has given Mr. Potter a love potion, is a very accurate guess. It explains why he has accepted to enter an unbreakable soul bond (which is considered a marriage, and gives Mrs. Potter right to his Gringotts vaults, including the Potter Family Vault) at the mere age of fourteen. This suspicion is backed up by witnesses claiming to have seen Mr. Potter appearing unnaturally smitten with Mrs. Potter, leaning towards obsessive tendencies.

Love potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts. We can only hope that Headmaster Dumbledore sees the seriousness in the case, now that the truth has been laid out before him, and that he takes action. Meanwhile, the rest of us must take pity in Mr. Potter's tragic fate, both in family and love life.'" Harry paused, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself a little. "Now, well. If she had done her homework, she would have known that a soul bond cannot be forged. One can't choose to have one or choose not to have one. It's a gift from Magic," he grumbled. Looking up, he found Pansy Parkinson watching him. His anger hitting him again with full force, he couldn't help but send her the most deadly glare he could muster.

He saw her face draining of all colour. With his excellent hearing, he picked up her frightened squeak before she got up and stormed from the Great Hall. Harry ran after him, the last strings of control vanishing as he left the Great Hall. He didn't notice that the building was shaking. He didn't know that the fire on the torches was turned out and lit repeatedly, or that a blizzard began outside.

"You filthy liar!" his yell echoed in the stone walls as he caught up with her, being both taller and more fit than her. Grabbing the back of her robes he flung her around, seemingly effortlessly, causing her to crash into the wall and collapse down on the floor into a quivering, sobbing mess.

"I-I'm sorry – "

"No, you're not!" Harry shouted, hoisting her up with one hand. He pinned her firmly against the wall, her feet dangling in the air, "what did you think you'd achieve by it, huh? Praise? Fame? Attention?" his voice was lower, but no less dangerous, which Parkinson seemed to realize. She was shaking in his grip, flinching, as if expecting to be hexed. "The next time you spew out a bad word about my Ginny to the press, I won't let you go this easily, got it?"

Parkinson nodded hastily, and sagged back on the floor when Harry let go of her and stormed back to the Great Hall. Fortunately, it wasn't in such a mess that it had been when Pettigrew had been exposed, so he could join the Gryffindor table and continue the breakfast in relative peace – that is, except for the hundreds of eyes staring at him and the whispering, of course.

"Oh you, my brave knight," Ginny sighed dramatically, earning a snort from Harry.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

"Potter! Stay behind." Snape's cold voice penetrated the scraping and scrambling as students packed to leave.

Harry looked up at him curiously, and quickly packed his bag. "You go ahead. I promised Viktor to practice with him afterwards," he told Hermione, Ron and Neville, "could you tell him I'll be there as soon as I can?"

Hermione nodded and followed Neville and Ron along with the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins.

Snape spoke up as soon as the door slammed shut. "There has been a break-in into my office, Potter. Know anything about it?" he asked mencingly.

"Break-in, sir? What was taken?" Harry asked, bewildered. Snape surely wasn't blaming him for breaking into his office?

"Boomslang skin… lacewing flies… does that give you an idea?" Snape said softly.

"Well, sir," Harry said, "if you are accusing me of making a Polyjuice Potion, I'll have to ask you to think again."

"I'm not foolish, Potter!" Snape said sharply. "I know Crouch did it! Of course I do! I encountered him in the corridors in the middle of the night; no-one else was up. My problem is what I am going to do with it. Seeing as I cannot expose him, due to the importance that we have already talked about."

"At least not let him think you know, sir. He'll try to kill you. He's already tried to kill his own father for recognizing him."

"How do you know?" asked Snape suspiciously.

"I've got wards around him, sir. I felt the attack," Harry said simply.

"Ah. The magnificent bond," Snape said dryly. "So I'll just be a spy again."

"Well, you're good at it, aren't you, sir?" Harry asked.

Snape gave him a wry smile. "Go. I have essays to correct, which I expect will take at least until dinner. Your useless classmates cannot even write a simple essay on common antidotes."

"And that is aimed at Neville, Hermione and Ron, sir?" Harry challenged, raising a brow.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Everyone except for yourself and your friends, seeing as you and Longbottom have managed to beat some knowledge into Weasley's brain."

"Right. Good to know that Malfoy is awful in potions too," Harry said and flung his bag over his shoulder.

"Don't think I don't know, Potter! What did you do to him?"

"To Malfoy, sir? I've never done anything to him outside talking. Parkinson, on the other hand," he added in a quiet mutter. Throwing a mischievous grin over his shoulder, he strode out of the classroom.

He ran all the way up towards the Gryffindor Tower, but found Ron and Ginny carrying their own broomsticks along with the Firebolt on first floor, so he doubled back and joined them outside, settling on leaving his bag in the Gryffindor locker room.

Viktor was already in the air, enjoying himself by doing warm-up drills. He was hanging upside down on his broom when Harry came out.

"We're doing balance for starters, and then we are going to do running – intervalls, I mean, and we're going to have a chase afterwards!" Viktor shouted in Bulgarian.

It was a usual work-out schedule that Viktor could do alone, but he thought it boring to do it alone, so when Harry so readily agreed to join, Viktor was happy.

"Harry!" Ron shouted as Harry stood on his broom, practicing balance by throwing the Quaffle back and forth to Viktor.

"Yeah?" he called back.

"You forgot the wards!"

Grabbing the Quaffle, Harry looked around and saw indeed a small group of girls sitting at the corner of the stands, whispering and giggling. He glanced at Viktor and pulled out his wand. "Sorry. Can't handle staring," he said and performed a charm, which soon enough had the girls running.

"Totally agree," Viktor said, and they went on.

However, when they decided to pull their chase of the Snitch so high up in the air that it could be seen from the castle, Professor McGonagall soon came down and joined Ginny and Ron as a spectator. She was apparently just as interested in Quidditch as Ron.

"I expect great results from you next year, Potter," she said as he landed at the end of the workout.

"I'll do my best, Professor," Harry promised.

"Anyone who can outfly a Hungarian Horntail should automatically become a professional player," he heard her muttering as she left.

Harry chuckled and exchanged a look with Ginny.

"Take the shower in the castle?" she suggested, his school bag on his shoulder. "I'm having one too."

"It'll have to be quick. Dinner is in fourty minutes," Harry said and pulled her up on the Firebolt.

She wrapped her arms around him, and didn't even flinch as he put full speed forward towards the castle.

They were five minutes late for dinner, but it didn't really matter. Ron, Hermione and Neville had saved them seats, and Neville and Hermione were fervently discussing the reasons for using heliopius leaves in Felix Felicis.

"I tell you, it'd ruin the recipe! They're too strong, so it'll tip it all out of balance," Hermione said.

"They're strong, but not that strong. They'll give it the right edge to turn it into an Imagination Potion," Neville insisted.

"An imagination potion will be completely destroyed if heliopius leaves are added – they'll counteract the newt's eyes; that is tested and proved, right, Harry?"

"Not neccesarily," Harry said, helping himself with beef casserole, "not in the imagination potion, because that also contains wings of the Dreamcatcher, so it'll keep it in balance."

"Hah!" Neville said victoriously.

"But it depends on the amount of wormwood that you use. If too much, it'll destroy the potion," Harry went on.

"Hah!" Hermione triumphed. "Told you!"

Ron merely shook his head and went on eating his mashed potatoes.

"Have you done the essay for Professor McGonagall yet, Harry?" Neville asked, the sleeves of his robes folded up as he ate soup.

"No; I was thinking to do it after dinner," Harry replied. "You done it, Ron?"

"No! It isn't due until Tuesday."

"Let me guess," Neville said, "You haven't even done the chart for Professor Sinistra yet, have you?"

Ron shot him an indignant look. "It'ff no' due unffil next Wednesday, stop complaining!" he said around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"It's due on Monday, Ron. We don't even have Astronomy on Wednesdays," Neville reminded him and laughed at Ron's expression. "So I guess you'll join us to the library afterwards?"

Ron nodded and picked up the already impressive pace he was eating in.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Saturday morning before the task Harry and Ginny allowed themselves a sleep-in, so when they made it to the Great Hall, nearly the whole school was there already, except for the early birds that had gone off and done something else. Harry said and peered up towards the ceiling in the hopes of seeing the owls. The latest copy of _Quidditch International_ would be arriving today.

"It won't come faster if you keep staring, Harry, love," Ginny said amusedly.

"Won't it? I thought it would," Harry said sarcastically as he scraped his plate for the remainder of the egg yolk and bread crumbs.

Ginny stuck her tongue out towards him before beaming at Hagrid, who entered with his winter cloak flung over his arm.

"Oh! There it is!" Harry said as he followed a Great Gray owl soaring down towards them. But it wasn't carrying a magazine, nor did it land in front of him. It landed on the table beside Ginny and held out its leg to which a letter was tied. And behind it four other barn owls soared down towards her, each with a letter clutched in their talons.

Harry looked at her in surprise, as if suspecting that she had done something behind his back, as this was no owl that any of them recognized.

"What? I didn't do anything!" she protested and pulled out the letter.

The letter was composed of cut-out letters from the _Daily Prophet_ , something Harry assumed was done to hide the author's handwriting once he read the letter.

 _YOU ARE AN EVIL AND SELFISH GIRL. HARRY POTTER DESERVES BETTER. GIVE HIM HIS MONEY AND HIS LIFE BACK, YOU FILTHY THIEF._

"They're all like that," Ginny said desperately as she opened the other letters, one worse than the other. " _'Harry Potter would do much better without you. I hope you are given to the dementors, foul creature!'_ – Ouch!"

Harry, who had been reading over her shoulder, saw a smelly yellowish green mud-like liquid flowing out of the envelope and onto her hands, causing large, yellow boils to pop out wherever it reached.

"That's undiluted bubotuber pus!" Ron said, recognizing it from when they worked with bubotubers in Herbology.

"Ow," Ginny whimpered, her face contorted into a frown of pain as tears started to appear in her eyes while she tried to rub the pus off with a napkin. It only spread and made it worse, and soon her hands looked like she wore a knobbly set of yellow gloves. She looked at Harry hopelessly, tears of pain and emotional hurt dribbling down her cheeks.

"Come. Let's go to Madam Pomfrey," he said and pulled her up. The Slytherins leaned over to see what was going on snickering gleefully as Ginny and he passed their table.

"No, don't listen, love," Harry told her as he ushered her out.

Madam Pomfrey was carefully organizing her Hospital Wing when they entered. "Now, what is this?" she asked, looking at them expectantly, "what are you doing here this early on a Saturday?"

Ginny tearfully held up her hands. "Could – could you help? Please? It really hurts."

Madam Pomfrey came closer and grabbed Ginny's wrist to study her hands closer. "Bubotuber pus, is this?"

Harry nodded and explained about the hate mail as Madam Pomfrey pulled out a large jar of white salve and gently applied it on Ginny's hands.

"Now, there is no quick way to fix this very common accident," she explained.

"What does that cream do, Harry?" Ginny asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Umm…" but he didn't get to study it before Madam Pomfrey explained.

"It will, plain and simple, puncture the boils, remove the pus and heal the skin again. However, it does take some time to work. I'm afraid that you will have to wear bandages for today and tomorrow, at least. We will see how it looks tomorrow. And I want you to stay in the Hospital Wing for an hour. Some people experience strong bi-effects from it."

Harry reached over and gave Ginny a comforting hug, and held her patiently as Madam Pomfrey worked. An hour and a half later Ron, Hermione and Neville came through the door, chatting to Viktor, who entered right behind them.

"…it looked really bad, I tell you, and I know it's painful because I got it on my feet when mum was supposed to make a healing potion and missed the bottle," Ron told Viktor seriously.

"Hi," Harry said morosely. He sat on a bed, holding Ginny in his arms and had until then talked to her in a kind of monologue to distract her a little from the pain.

"I vos vondering vhere you vos, Harry," Viktor said. "Hov is Ginny?"

She had her eyes shut, so Viktor probably thought she was sleeping.

"She'll be better soon," Harry assured him.

"You are training vith me today, yes?"

"Yes, once Ginny is a little better."

Viktor nodded.

"You are flying with Mr. Krum, Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked, looking form Harry to Viktor and back.

"Yeah, a little," Harry said hesitantly.

"And yet you have no broken bones, or even bruises? I think we must have underestimated you then," she said curtly and disappeared into her office.

"Is she disappointed you didn't get hurt in a Wronski Feint?" Ginny muttered, peering up at Harry.

"No idea," he replied.

Madam Pomfrey returned carrying a bowl of water and a cloth. "Your hands, Mrs. Potter," she commanded. As soon as Madam Pomfrey had cleaned off the white salve from Ginny's hands, she applied a new layer of a different salve and wrapped thick bandages around both of her hands. "There. You can go now. Come by tomorrow evening," she said, flicking her wand towards the jars, which floated back into her potions cabinet.

"Yes, ma'am," Ginny said faintly and slid out of Harry's grip.

Harry followed her, sneaking a protective arm around her as they left the Hospital Wing with Ron, Hermione, Neville and Viktor in tow.

"Harry? Could we go to the kitchen? I didn't get to eat much breakfast," Ginny said lowly, pausing in the corridor outside the Hospital Wing.

"But it's nearly lunch," he said, looking at her with confusion.

"I-I can't move my hands, Harry," she said desperately, "I don't want to sit in the Great Hall and be a study object of several hundred people who want to stare at me for not managing to even hold my own toast!"

Harry's face fell. "I'm sorry, Gin. I didn't think – of course we'll go to the kitchen."

"Would you mind if we came along?" Neville asked, "I'd like to see Dobby again; he's funny."

Ginny nodded faintly and strode ahead down towards the basement. Harry jogged to catch up with her.

"Hey. It's not so bad – "

"Not so bad?" she retorted angrily, "that _foul_ woman is not so bad? Oh, I'll get her back good, I will! She'll regret she ever wrote a single word about us!"

They made it to the kitchen with only meeting a handful of Hufflepuff, who eyed Viktor interestedly. The hundreds of house-elves were busily running around, apparently in the process of preparing lunch, because there were all sorts of delicious smells filling the large room. Ginny's stomach rumbled.

"Master Harry!" Dobby's voice was easily recognizable, despite the noise, and they saw him hit Harry like a bullet, his thin arms wrapping around his waist. Harry was forced to take a step back, grunting by the impact.

"Hi, Dobby. We decided to have lunch here. D'you think you can get us something?"

Dobby nodded enthusiastically and disappeared. Winky cracked into the kitchen, her face lighting up like a sun.

"Master Harry is here! And Mistress Ginny – but… is you hurt, Mistress Ginny?" Winky eyed Ginny's bandaged hands with concern. "Is I to get the potions bag, Master?"

"No thanks, Winky. Madam Pomfrey has already sorted it out. We decided to have our lunch here today." He then presented Viktor to Winky and Dobby when Dobby returned, and told him the story about how they had gotten them.

In the meantime three elves were busily setting a table for them in a corner, filling it with more food than they could together eat in a day. There were heaps of sandwiches, a tower of cornish pasties, English flapjacks, porridge, cullen skink and champ, as well as several large jugs of pumpkin juice.

"This looks really great!" Harry told the house-elves in the kitchen, who beamed at the praise. He settled down across of Ron and helped himself with some porridge, emptying a quarter of the bowl of blueberries on top.

"Yeah! Amazing," Ron breathed, his gaze blank as he took a large bite of a cornish pasty. "Did'ya read the laffft article on Manetto Ferraro, the Italian Seeker in _Quidditch International_?" he asked before swallowing.

"No. What about him?" Harry asked, watching Ginny struggle with the ladle for the soup.

"He quit. Was permanently harmed by a Bludger to the head in a league match. Apparently, he can barely walk and talk," Ron said.

"Really? That's a pity. We was decent, wasn't he? Who is going to replace him?" Harry asked and leaned over to help when Ginny finally caved in and miserably slumped against the back of her chair.

"A fellow called Timoteo Cicci. I've never heard of him, though."

"He played vith the Vratsa Vultures for a short period," Viktor said, "apparently, he is a decent Seeker."

"He did?" Ron asked, looking at Viktor with interest. "So that makes a better chance for Italy in the International League, then?"

"If he can last that long, yes. I haff heard he is struggling to stay on a team. He has a drinking problem, I am thinking," Viktor said.

"Is he doing the Wonky-Faint-thing too?" Hermione asked.

Viktor burst out laughing, and Ginny managed a snort over her futile attempts of holding her spoon with stiffly bandaged fingers.

"It's called a Wronski Feint, Hermione," Ron said, stuffing the rest of his pasty into his mouth.

"No," Viktor chuckled, "Cicci can not do a Vronski Feint if his life depended on it. Even Lynch is ten times better than him."

Ginny released the spoon with a clank and a huff. "Seems like I won't be getting any food in the next fourty-eight hours thanks to the stinking bug."

"Do you want me to help you?" Harry asked, glancing at her.

"Could you, please? When you're done?" she asked, her cheeks flaming brilliantly red. "Oh Merlin, this is so embarrassing…"

"To what? Not being able to hold your spoon because Skeeter lied in the press and caused someone to send you bubotuber pus?" Neville asked.

Ginny bit her lips, and Harry noticed her inward struggle with her emotions. "No-one here makes fun of you, love. All of us know that it's not your fault – "

"But it's so humiliating!" Ginny looked at him with a fire of frustration burning in her eyes.

"Everyone needs some help once in a while, Ginny," Hermione said calmly, "even with the simplest of things. Would it be better if we left?"

Ginny shook her head. "At least I don't have to eat in the Great Hall and be laughed at by the whole school plus Durmstrang and Beauxbatons."

Harry ate a couple of flapjacks before he scooted closer to Ginny, who looked mortified. "You probably want this," he said, spreading a napkin in her lap. Hermione lead the others into a conversation, knowing that Ginny would hate their attention on her right now.

Harry filled spoon after spoon of haddock soup, and Ginny ate it all until it was empty. "Could I have a pasty too, Harry?" she asked quietly.

Harry picked one without hesitating, and gave it to her bit by bit while partly listening to the conversation, which was now about the importance of blood status in Britain versus Bulgaria. After Ginny too had had her fill with food and pumpkin juice(Harry managed to spill half of the goblet down on the napkin), they politely thanked the house-elves.

"Haff you time to join me for practice now, Harry?" Viktor asked.

"Yes, I'll just get my Firebolt," Harry promised and ran off.

Ginny stayed away from the general crowd all day, and close to Harry after Parkinson had teased her.

"I'm not afraid!" she snapped to Ron when he'd asked, "only, it's more convenient this way. Parkinson won't dare to do anything as long as Harry is there."

Harry and Ginny stayed at the pitch while the rest of the school had dinner. He took her on the Firebolt and showed her the most incredible dives and stunts he could muster. Her laughter could be heard all the way up to the castle, and it made him feel giddy with happiness, his whole body tingling every time he heard it. Then they showered in the Gryffindor locker room – together – in the boys' locker room.

Sweet kisses were exchanged, despite their less innocent state of dress. Harry chucked as he watched her jokingly pose for him until he couldn't take it anymore and began to tickle her instead. She giggled, her voice echoing in the walls, and desperately tried to wriggle out of his grip, which was a rather futile attempt with his ever-increasing muscles from both practice and puberty. She had to plead for him to stop after laughing so hard her stomach hurt.

Afterwards they went back to the kitchen and had roast lamb served by enthusiastic house-elves, who were tidying after the dessert in the Great Hall. Winky, feeling very sorry for Ginny, kept asking if she could help, but Ginny insisted that she preferred Harry, who she knew a little better. Harry didn't wait until he was done eating this time, but ate a few mouthfuls while Ginny was chewing.

They had just started on the dessert – eton mess – when the fruit bowl portrait opened, and Professor McGonagall entered.

"There you are!" she said, looking relieved. "I have been searching for you."

"You have?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Yes. I did not see you at the Gryffindor table either at lunch or dinner," Professor McGonagall said sternly.

Harry blinked. He hadn't expected their Head of House to pay such good attention to her house members, and to even worry and track them down when she found them absent.

Ginny held up her bandaged hands to show her. "I… I didn't want everyone to stare at me in the Great Hall since I can't even eat myself, Professor," she explained bitterly. "I received a letter with undiluted bubotuber pus this morning, see."

"You surely – do you know who sent it?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"No. There was no signature. But Skeeter and her stupid article is to blame."

"Well, fortunately I haven't seen many at Hogwarts who have heard of it, although I do know that Professor Sprout reads Witch Weekly. She asked me whether it was true if you two shared a soulbond."

"What about Dumbledore?" Harry asked, "does he know too?"

"I cannot tell you for sure," Professor McGonagall watched them thoughtfully. "But I would guess that he will know of it eventually. Something like that has the ability to spread very quickly. Especially at Hogwarts."

Harry and Ginny could only smile in agreement.

"How did you find us?" Ginny wondered.

"Your friends made a very educated guess, which turned out to be right. I stepped by to make sure your reason for avoiding the Great Hall was legitimate. Do enjoy your dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," she said and left.

Harry followed her with his gaze until the portrait slammed shut behind her.

"I didn't take her as a worrier," Harry muttered. Ginny just snorted and gaped over the strawberry perched on the spoon he proffered to her.

They finished up dinner and headed down to Hagrid, who could quickly relate to Ginny's problem after having had Skeeter's lies aimed towards him.

"Jus' chuck them righ' into the fire! Don' even bother open them – it's not worth it," he told Ginny, a large hand patting her back comfortingly.

Madam Pomfrey removed the bandages from Ginny's hands the next evening. More letters arrived during the following week, but Ginny followed Hagrid's advice and burnt them without opening any of them.


	32. Deadly Water

As the second task closed in, Ginny could see the level of stress mounting in Harry. He was using more and more time in the library, even though he had his plan A, B, C, D and E down to the t, and when he wasn't in the library or in class, he was flying, with or without Viktor. Ginny, who preferred to be wherever he was just for comfort, was often seen bringing her school bag outside and sit in the stands to do homework, as long as it didn't snow. Ron, while enthusiastic about Harry's flying, was not so eager to watch when the snow was obscurring most of the vision, and instead – if he had to do them, brought his homework into the kitchen where he could do his essays with a cup of hot chocolate from the house-elves. Hermione for one didn't say anything about it. Ginny suspected she was just glad he was studying, even if it risked spilling hot chocolate in the books.

Truth be told, the prospect of Voldemort being resurrected and the chance of a new war breaking out, had apparently forced him to pull himself together.

"If You-Know-Who is coming back, and Harry can't kill him, then I want to be prepared for the war. I want to help. You know Harry, Ginny. You know how he is; I won't let him do it alone. I'm his best mate. It's my job to help him, plus, it is my duty as a Weasley to protect my family, however large it may be," Ron said passionately, barely pausing his taking notes from _Charms of Defence and Deterrence_. "So you see, Ginny; I have to learn more. If Death Eaters try to poison me or anyone of you, I have to know how to brew the antidote. I have to understand and use spells to stop them, and to protect myself and my friends.

"We have two Death Eaters at school – one is a giantic chicken, but the other wouldn't hesitate to kill us if he felt it was what his master wants him to do. He's a grown wizard, and he knows plenty of Dark magic. With our plan, no-one else can know of him, but we who do know have to be prepared for defence. He's unreliable."

Ginny plopped down on a chair beside him and stared at him with wide eyes. "Who are you, and what have you done to my brother?"

Ron looked put out for a moment before he smiled. "He grew up a bit."

She reached over and hugged him fiercely for a long while. "Thank you. Harry and I are glad to be able to count on you," she said before leaving the kitchen, a smile on her lips. She climbed the many staircases up to the library, where she knew Harry to be, cramming before the task tomorrow. He had gotten enough Gillyweed for three dives just to be sure, and was even planning on bringing one underwater, just in case. He had drilled the bubble-head charm so many times that he could do it in his sleep, and repeated defensive spells that he could use on the Grindylows. In total he had probably done the warming charm at least a hundred times. He had also practiced the Four-Point spell, which worked somewhat like a muggle compass – just in case he got lost.

Hermione and Neville were there too, keeping him company, although he barely listened when they spoke. Ginny sat with him quietly until the clock was nearly curfew, and Professor McGonagall came into view around one of the tall bookshelves. She paused at their table.

"I'm here to fetch Mrs. Potter," she said.

She hadn't needed to say it. They all knew the moment she arrived why she was there. Ginny stood to join her, but was held back when Harry grasped her arm, his eyes filled with desperation and fear. Smiling sadly she pulled him up and hugged him tightly. "I know, love. I don't want to either. But it is only for twelve hours."

"What if I can't…" he began chokedly, his eyes stinging with unshed tears.

"Shh, love," Ginny whispered, "you will. You will swim off the moment they begin the task, and you will beat down any Grindylows and merfolk, and I'll be with you in no time."

He could only look at her as the tears caused her face to become blurred.

"I love you, Harry," she told him. Then she kissed him. He didn't get to respond to before she was gone. He dumped back on his chair, no longer able to hold back his tears. Hermione moved over and hugged him, but it just wasn't the same.

He sat stiffly while Ginny was taken to the lake where the three other victims were; a small girl no older than eight with Fleur's silvery hair flowing down her back, Cho Chang, Cedric's girlfriend, and a Beauxbatons girl that Ginny didn't know, but recognized as Viktor's date at the Yule Ball.

Harry distantly noticed Ron guiding him back to the Gryffindor common room, his arm flung supportively over his shoulder. And then she was gone. It was like a part of himself was lost, and he was tumbling around in darkness. He felt disorientated and completely lost, and had no clue on what was going on around him. He felt himself going insane, without Ginny as his support. She supported his very soul; without her there he felt like a bridge which pillars crumbled away and the bridge collapsed uselessly and drifted away in the river below.

"She's… she's gone…" he whispered hoarsely.

"We will see her soon," he heard Ron's voice beside him.

Harry stumbled through the portrait hole and managed to look around. The Gryffindors were going on with their homework, games and chatting like normal. How could they possibly act so careless when Ginny lay on the bottom of the lake? It was as if she didn't mattered at all. He felt himself going angry. His temper flared violently; he barely noticed the vibrating table in front of him.

Fred and George's faces appeared before him. They looked uncharacteristically grave, compared to their mischievously scheming selves.

"It'll be alright, Harry."

Their words felt empty and gave no comfort. Harry collapsed into a chair in front of the fire and stared into the flickering flames with a lost aspect of time. Ron dragged him off to bed just past ten. Harry changed into his pyjamas on autopilot and crawled into bed. It seemed cold and unwelcoming without Ginny there. He didn't even bother to try to sleep. It was as if a fishing hook was attached to his heart, and Ginny was now reeling him in from the bottom of the lake. Every minute it got stronger.

He got out of bed and changed into his swimming trunks before he pulled his robes and winter cloak on top. The jar of gillyweed was stuffed into his pocket along with his wand. Quietly he snuck out of his and Ginny's bedroom and past Ron and Neville's. Ron's loud snores prevented any of them to notice him, and he slipped into the common room effortlessly. It was empty. As he passed through the portrait hole and disappeared down the corridor, he heard the Fat Lady call after him, but he couldn't care less.

In a stroke of luck he managed to get down to the entrance hall and out without anyone noticing him. The air was biting cold, and it had begun to snow. His breath misted every time he exhaled. He hid his hands inside the pockets of his robes. The tracks from Ginny and Professor McGonagall lead to the bank of the lake near the castle. It was trampled flat in an area by the water, odd handprints in the snow, apparently belonging to the Merfolk who had taken the victims into the lake. Harry walked straight past the point and towards the stands that during the last task had surrounded the dragon enclosure, and was now situated along the shoreline on the farther bank.

Harry made his way along a path made in the knee-high snow, staring out on the lake. Ginny had been right when she had said that their bond would guide him. Even when she was asleep, and not with him, he could still feel the pull dragging him towards her. It was the only thing that assured him that she was still alive.

He sat down in the snow by the lake, right below the stands. For hours he sat there, fighting silently against the pull, doing nothing else but to stare into the dark water. It started to hurt at some point during the night. An agonizing pain that became worse until he could only envision the Cruciatus Curse being more pleasant. It felt like their bond was killing him. And in a way he wanted it to. Just to end the pain. It was constant, like a thousand hot knives piercing his skin, like his bones had turned into the most awful poison and ate him away from the inside. In a way he was glad Ginny was asleep; she wouldn't have to feel this. He realized that this was the longest they had been apart since they completed their bond.

Hermione barged into Ron and Neville's room the next morning. "Ron! Ron, get up! Harry's gone!" she shook him violently. "Come _on_ , Ron!"

"What's going on?" Neville asked, squinting at her as he pushed himself up.

"Harry is gone; he isn't in his bed! Ron, get up!" Hermione said impatiently.

Ron was finally reacting. He sat up and quickly scurried to find a clean set of robes. "Just go out so we can change," he said, waving her outside.

Ron and Neville changed in a hurry, and bolted down the stairs into the common room where Hermione was waiting.

"Either, he's already gone into the lake, or he's down there waiting," Hermione reasoned. "Do you know when he left?"

"Of course we don't, Hermione!" Ron said, "or we would have known he wasn't in his bed. Let's pick up some breakfast and go down for a look."

They snatched some sandwiches from the Great Hall on the way out, and ran pell-mell down towards the lake, Ron's long legs bringing him in front.

"Harry!" he yelled when he caught sight of a black-headed figure by the lake.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione shouted, out of breath.

Ron collapsed on his knees beside Harry. "Are you alright, mate?" he asked, breathing heavily.

Harry merely looked at him, his eyes filled with so much pain that Ron was taken aback by it. His face looked gaunt and haggard look, making him look ill. Neville shoved a sandwich into Harry's hand.

"Eat. You'll need the energy to swim fast and get Ginny back here."

"Gin…" Harry croaked, lifting a shaking finger out towards the source of the pull.

"Yes, we know, Harry. But she'll be alright."

"The task starts in one and a half hour," Hermione told him. "Do you have your Gillyweed?"

A curt nod was the only response she got.

"Good."

Ron tried to make him sit on the bottom of the stands with them to get out of the cold snow, but Harry refused. He sat there as if petrified, having only taken one bite of the sandwich. After some time students started to appear. Harry didn't seem to notice, even when he got a clap on the back from Bagman. Nor did he see the concerned look given to him by Professor McGonagall. By then Hermione, Ron and Neville had company from Fred and George in the stands.

Cedric and Fleur arrived together. Both looked very nervous, and Fleur looked very stressed out, glancing into the stands with hope in her eyes, only to get disappointed. Harry got up and walked over to the table where the judges had taken place. His body was stiff, both from the pain and having sat in the snow all night.

Dumbledore's eyes landed on him, but it was without their usual merry twinkle. "Are you feeling well, Mr. Potter? Should we get Madam Pomfrey to have a look at you?"

Harry shook his head. "Can we… can we get started?"

"It will take another fifteen minutes before we are scheduled to start, Mr. Potter," Mr. Crouch said, "and Mr. Krum is not yet present. There is no need to stress."

Harry bit his tongue to keep back an angry retort. He glared at Mr. Crouch.

"Professor Sprout showed me a rather interesting article in Witch Weekly the other day," Dumbledore began lowly. Harry didn't move. "Concerning a soul bond. Is it true, Mr. Potter?"

His words had everyone within earshot turning; Madame Olympe, Karkaroff, Bagman, Crouch, Fleur and Cedric were staring at Harry.

A hand landed on Harry's shoulder, and Harry turned to see Viktor standing there, his sour face lifting slightly before he removed his hand and moved to stand beside Harry.

"Is it, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore urged. Harry nodded faintly.

"Yes, can we get started now that Viktor is here?" he said impatiently, staring out towards the lake, where Ginny was.

"The clock is not yet half past nine," Mr. Crouch insisted, "sit and calm down."

"Calm down!" Harry exclaimed angrily, finally losing control. The pain was overwhelming, and the pull was so strong he had to fight violently against it. "Easy for you to say, who don't have half your soul gone, and your soulmate in the bottom of a freezing lake while you feel like you've got ten Cruciatus Curses on you at the same time!" he yelled, not noticing how ice was forming at his feet and spreading. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous snarl. "Have you ever felt like you were going insane, Mr. Crouch? Everything that keeps you up and going in this life crumbling under your feet? Like you're drowning into darkness and that the pain is slowly but surely going to kill you? Have you, Mr. Crouch?"

Viktor grabbed Harry's robes again and pulled him away. "Easy, Harry," he said, talking in Bulgarian to avoid being overheard. Not even Karkaroff knew Bulgarian. "You have your plan, and you know what to do. It is only a few more minutes left. Take a deep breath and stop freezing the ground, or we'll never get into the lake."

Harry closed his eyes and breathed deeply, reining in his magic.

"There you go. Good boy," Viktor said jokingly.

Harry glared at him. "How can you all be so calm?"

"Because, fortunately, I am not struggling with the curse of a soul bond."

"It's not just a curse, you know," Harry said through gritted teeth. "It's a gift."

Viktor offered him a small smile and clapped his back comradely before he disappeared into his own mind with a thoughtful look.

The next ten minutes felt like hours if you asked Harry. He undressed to his swimming trunks when he saw Fleur, Viktor and Cedric do so; his watch he barely dared look at. He stuffed one handful of gillyweed into his pocket and another in his hand. At last Bagman got up and spaced the champions along the shoreline ten feet apart each other.

"Everyone ready?" Bagman yelled. "One – two – three!" The whistle sounded shrilly, stinging Harry's sensitive hearing.

Harry sprinted into the water, chewing gillyweed hastily. It was bitingly cold, his legs stinging as he got deeper and deeper. Several times he nearly slipped on stones covered with algae. He didn't turn back to see what the others were doing, nor did he wait for the gillyweed to take effect before he dived into the water and began to swim. He felt his whole body numbing quickly. It took a few seconds, and then felt the gills appear. He didn't stop, but swam even harder when he felt his feet growing longer and webbed. Like last time the water didn't feel as cold anymore. To avoid the Grindylows that he sensed in the forest of seaweeds, he swam over it rather than through it, feeling no need to swim through when he knew he didn't need to. He still kept his wand out; ready if he were to be taken by surprise by something or another. After all, the water was so muddy he could only see ten feet ahead of him.

Very distantly he felt the magic belonging to Cedric, Viktor and Fleur. Fleur, being part Veela, had more noticeable magic than the others. As he sped through the water, he felt them falling further and further behind, taking different directions than him.

The pull from Ginny felt stronger and stronger, and soon enough he could hear the faint voices of the merfolk singing. He had probably swam for a total of twenty minutes when he heard them.

 _Come seek us where our voices sound,_

 _We cannont sing above the ground…_

Harry swam faster, soon passing the large rock he remembered as the entrance to the mervillage. Merfolk quickly paused in their daily work when Harry approached. They watched warily as he swam past without sparing them a fleeting glance.

The voices came from a singing choir of merfolk, gathered by a square of rocky houses in the middle of the village. They hadn't been there the last time. The stone statue of the mermaid towered behind them. Ginny was there, attached to it, beside the three other hostages. She was tied to it by her feet with thick ropes, and looked like she slept very peacefully.

 _Ginny!_ He yelled desperately as he hurried towards her. He had to get her awake quickly; he wanted so badly to feel her with him again. The moment he touched her, he felt far lighter, even though the pain was still stinging him from both inside and outside.

Waving his wand towards her, he did a strong warming charm, and then a bubble-head charm before he cut the rope with a severing charm. With his arms wrapped around her to hold her close, he searched to counteract the enchanted sleep. It was tricky, as it was a very advanced piece of magic, but then he felt her mind fall back into place with his. He nearly cried in relief. The pain disappeared instantly, and the lonely, destroyed feeling he had had since she'd been taken away, vanished, leaving him bubbling with joy and love.

 _Ginny…_ he said croakily.

Ginny's hands moved up to caress his hair. She smiled at him. _You did it, Harry._

 _You have no idea how painful it was…_

Ginny pressed a tender kiss to his lips through the bubble-head charm. _But it's over now. Let's go back up._

But Harry didn't move. He just held her desperately for two long minutes before he finally released her and began to swim towards the surface. Only then did he manage to think of something else than Ginny, whose hand he was holding very tightly, pulling her along.

 _I hope the others will get their hostages soon._ He checked his watch. Twenty-five minutes left.

 _Can you feel them?_ Ginny asked. The water got brighter as they neared the surface.

 _Viktor and Cedric, yes. They're not so far away. But Fleur…_

They breached the surface – or rather, Ginny did. Harry still had gills. The crowd roared and cheered on the bank. Ginny began to swim on her own, and then spotted a blonde girl with a towel tightly wrapped around her, looking very white and very scared.

 _Fleur's on land, Harry!_ Ginny said, feeling panic rising. _You have to get her hostage, or the merfolk will take her!_

Harry didn't even bother to answer. He dived back down into the darkness, straight down towards the village, whereas Ginny staggered to her feet in the shallows. To her great surprise she saw Percy there, splashing into the water to meet her, snatching a towel from Madam Pomfrey on the way.

"Percy! What are you doing here?"

"Stand-in for the Minister. Claimed he got ill – where's Harry? What happened?"

"We couldn't very well leave that little girl down there when we realized that Fleur wasn't competing anymore, could we?" Ginny said sharply, "we might not know her, but we didn't want her to drown, so Harry went back to get her."

Mr. Crouch looked at her with a stunned expression, "I assure you, Mrs. Potter, that it wasn't necessary – "

"You and Harry didn't have to take the egg that seriously, Ginny," Percy said as he wrapped the towel around her.

Madam Pomfrey hurried over with a blanket that she wrapped on top. "It is Potter in a nutshell, that is! Always putting himself in risk for others!"

"Excuse me! No-one told him that the hostages would be safe! The egg said they would they wouldn't come back if they weren't saved within an hour!" she said shrilly.

In the meantime Harry had gotten all the way down to the village again, but the merfolk with spears were causing trouble for him.

"You can only take one hostage!"

"I'm lot leaving her here! Her sister isn't coming!" he tried to shout at them, but only bubbles escaped from his mouth. "Out of my way!"

His wand pointing at them, he counted down on his fingers. They seemed to get the point and scattered. After cutting the rope, Harry grabbed the girl by the back of her robes and began to swim off when he spotted Cedric approaching. Unsurprisingly, Cedric was so focussed that he didn't notice Harry until the merpeople started to rise with him, following him like a honour guard.

Harry watched them with awe at their ease in movements, and a slight hint of concern. He was fairly certain that the merfolk weren't harmful to humans, but he certainly didn't trust them. The merfolk breached the surface with him, and they were smiling, singing their screechy songs. Beside him, the little girl woke up and began spluttering. Harry dragged her on her back towards the shore.

" _Gabrielle!_ " Fleur's shriek was audible even for Harry under water, and he could see through Ginny, who was standing near, how she was fighting tooth and nail to get out of Madame Maxime and back into the water. "Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"

Ginny wandered into the water and helped Gabrielle to stand. "How are you?" she asked in an accented French.

"C-Cold," she said, shivering as Ginny lead her back on land.

Madam Pomfrey came over immediately and put a towel around the little girl as Fleur breached free from Madame Maxime's grip and pulled Gabrielle into a tight hug.

"Eet was ze Grindylows," she said, "zey attacked me… oh, Gabrielle, I was so worried – I thought – I thought that…"

"We thought so too," Ginny said in understanding and turned to the judges and Madam Pomfrey. "Cedric and Cho are here any moment too."

She had barely finished before Cedric's face appeared in the lake, soon followed by Cho. Harry, who couldn't get up yet, thanks to his gills, watched them swim towards the shore.

Suddenly there was another loud cheer from the crowd, signalizing the arrival of Viktor and his hostage. He emerged from the lake with a shark head, which turned back into his normal head after some waving of his wand.

Nearly five minutes after Viktor had returned, Harry felt his webbed feet return to normal. He surfaced, the water feeling horribly cold again, and took a breath of air for the first time in an hour. Ginny met him at the rocky beach, hugging him tightly. He beamed at her and kissed her, unable to stop himself.

All of the sudden he was yanked away by Madam Pomfrey. Harry scowled in annoyance and swallowed the desire to hex her for pulling him away from Ginny. Instead, she shoved a cup of a very hot potion into his hands and wrapped a thick blanket around him.

Harry felt very stupid. How could he have so little faith in the judges that they wouldn't ensure the safety of the hostages? Naturally, they wouldn't risk a life just because a champion was unable to get to their hostage.

His right hand holding the cup of potion, Harry wrapped his other around Ginny's waist, marvelling at the sensation of having her close. Her hair was wet, but she wasn't cold, mostly thanks to Harry's warming charm, which was still in effect. Her skin felt oddly warm to be so lightly dressed outside in temperatures far below zero.

He let the surroundings zone out for a while and buried his face into her neck as he sighed with relief. Ginny's warm lips made contact with his cheek, and then planted a deep, loving one on his lips, forcing him to bite back a moan.

"Excusez-moi."

Harry broke away from Ginny's kiss, startled, and spotted Fleur standing behind him. She numerous cuts and bruises on her face and arms, but she didn't seem to care the least, and instead shoved Gabrielle towards Madam Pomfrey, who was trying to clean and heal her wounds.

Then she scooped Harry into a hug, unintentionally pushing Ginny away. "You saved 'er. Even if she wasn't your 'ostage! Zank you!" And then she proceeded by kissing both of his cheeks.

Harry felt slightly awkward, and glanced at Ginny for help.

"Well, Harry, I'm glad you don't fall for her charms," she said, moving back into his embrace.

Fleur beamed brilliantly at them, and turned to watch the judges, who had now settled in their red velvet seats to give the scores.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are ready to give our scores to the four champions. Chieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to give our marks out of fifty as following…

"Miss Fleur Delacour showed excellent use of the bubble-head charm, but was unfortunately attacked by Grindylows as she approached her destination, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We therefore award her twenty-five points," said Bagman, his voice echoing over the stands with his use of a sonorus charm.

"I deserved zero," Fleur said miserably, shaking her head.

Cedric was then given forty-seven points, having returned one minute after an hour was passed, and Viktor, who had been even further out of the time limit, and used an incomplete human transfiguration, was given even less.

"Harry Potter used Gillyweed to great effect, and was back with his hostage well within the time limit. He also risked danger and bravely returned to the village for Miss Delacour's hostage when he saw that Miss Delacour had failed to get her, in order to return all hostages to safety. We award him fifty points for outstanding courage!"

The audience applauded enthusiastically, as did Fleur and Ginny. Cedric and Viktor were far more controlled, but politely applauded Harry nonetheless.

"The third task will begin at dusk the twenty-fourth of June. The champions will be notified of the task precisely one month beforehand."

Madam Pomfrey ushered all the champions and their hostages back to the castle and the Hospital wing, and kept them until they had all regained their warmth. Harry and Ginny were sharing a bed while talking to Viktor.

"I haff never seen such ugly merfolk," Viktor declared, "I vos swimming in Italy vhile playing the quarter-finals, and they haff really beautiful merfolk."

"That's because those in the lake are selkies, while the ones in the Mediterranean are Sirens," Ginny said.

"Vot kind of purpose has those Grindylows?" Viktor asked, causing Fleur to wince in the nearby bed.

"Err… none, really. The merfolk keep them as pets. I suppose you saw some of them in the village?" Harry asked. As he glanced at Viktor, he spotted something small, but with some awfully familiar magic sitting on the night stand beside Viktor's bed.

 _Skeeter's here,_ he warned Ginny, but gave no other warning before he summoned the beetle and stuffed it into a jar, which he charmed unbreakable. He grinned with large satisfaction as he studied the beetle inside, scurrying around for a way out.

 _Serves you right, you cow!_ Ginny said. She took the glass and held it firmly until Madam Pomfrey released them.

Viktor eyed the beetle curiously while he lagged behind with Ginny and Harry, whereas Cedric, Cho, Fleur, Gabrielle and Viktor's Yule Ball date walked off for lunch. "Do you collect?" he asked Ginny.

"Yes. I collect bothersome journalists," Ginny said dryly and dragged him off to an empty classroom, Harry following close behind.

"I know I am handsome," Viktor began cheekily, "but I vos sure you vere married?"

"Ha, ha." She opened the jar and emptied the beetle out of it while Harry trained his wand on the animagus.

A flash of blue light lit the room, and Skeeter appeared, looking very disheveled and with her glasses askew. She smiled brightly at the sight of Harry, Ginny and a very stunned-looking Viktor.

"Harry! Did you portkey me here or something? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Don't play silly, Skeeter," Harry snapped at her. "You have slandered and spouted lies about my friends and about my wife, and that's not okay with me. So I'm going to destroy your secret weapon and tell the Ministry unless you follow my requests – no, listen. I will not have you write a single word for any newspaper, magazine or other media about me, my family or my friends without my approval. I will read the article before you post it. You do not write lies about people just for revenge, like you did on my Ginny. Any articles you write, I will know of, and you can bet that I won't hesitate to tell Madam Bones."

Skeeter glared at him furiously. "You little whelp – "

"I voud vatch it if I vere you, Miss," Viktor said darkly, "Harry could do more to you than you could dream about in your vildest nightmare. He is no vhelp, as you say, and not a man to joke with. Do not forget, I am vatching this too. I can tell too, if I decide you are too annoying."

Ginny shot a grateful look at Viktor for his standing up for Harry.

"Do we have an understanding?" Harry said, looking at Skeeter with a rised brow.

Skeeter looked severely unhappy, and weighed her options quietly before she nodded. "Very well. Although, I expect no-one will hear of this."

"You are not the one making the requests here," Harry replied hotly.

Skeeter looked him as if he was a piece of dirt that a dog had dragged into the living room. She scoffed and pulled out a pocket mirror in violet purple. After checking her hair in it, she strode out of the room, her high heels clicking against the stone floor.


	33. The Perfect Gift

Unfortunately for Harry and Ginny the student body had gotten more copies of the Witch Weekly article in, from mothers, sisters or aunts, and soon enough everybody knew that Harry and Ginny shared a soulbond.

"All the books on soulbonds in the library are gone," Hermione said, "I can't even look up the separation pains that you had, Harry."

"Isn't that good, though?" Harry asked, "at least they would know what it means and does. Maybe they'll figure out that love potions won't work when forming a soulbond?" He said hopefully.

It was a few days after the task that one of the first years timidly approached Harry as he reviewed the next chapter in Potions and told him that Dumbledore wanted to talk to him and Mrs. Potter.

Ginny, who was busy doing her Charms essay on her and Harry's bed, crawled out of it and appeared only moments later.

"Did he say what he wanted?" Harry wondered as he waved his wand to send his notes into his school bag.

The first year shook his head hurriedly.

When Harry and Ginny got to Dumbledore's gargoyle, it bowed for Harry and swung aside.

 _Being master of Hogwarts has its advantages sometimes, although I've got no idea why she chose me,_ Harry said. He climbed on to the moving staircase begind the gargoyle, Ginny's small hand firmly held in his.

The stairs halted in front of an oak door; Harry knocked and waited for an answer.

"Enter," the Headmaster's voice sounded from inside. Harry pushed the door open and entered.

The office was just like it had been the last time he had visited. The silver instruments spinning and making odd noises, the large bookshelves with rows of heavy tomes, and the many portraits of the old headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts. Dumbledore himself was settled behind his desk, his gaze weary and resigned. Professor McGonagall was there too, sipping tea in a chair on the right of Dumbledore's desk. Two empty chairs were placed in front of the desk on which was a tea tray with a pot of tea, a couple of cups and saucers, and a platter with Battenberg.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore said and gestured towards the two seats.

Ginny quickly took one and pulled the other chair closer, watching Dumbledore with great suspicion. Harry smiled with affection when noticing her protective stance. The roles had turned.

"What did you want us, Headmaster?" Ginny asked politely as her hand automatically reached for Harry's again when he had sat.

"Perhaps you would like a spot of tea," Dumbledore offered them, filling the two cups for them.

Ginny's sceptical look didn't change. "Is it safe?" she muttered to Harry.

He gave a curt nod.

"You surely do not think I wish to poison my students, Mrs. Potter?" Dumbledore asked.

"Considering our history, sir, I wouldn't take any chances," Ginny said coldly.

Professor Dumbledore's face lost all amusement, and his great age suddenly became far more visible. "That is what I wish to talk to you about. I have not seen my own mistakes, and I have realized that I have been acting very unfairly on the two of you. I know that my decision and attempts to obliviate you, Mrs. Potter, were for selfish reasons and completely wrong of me to do."

Harry stared at him with bafflement. All of the sudden Dumbledore had changed his mind, and was apologizing? "May I ask what caused this change of opinion?"

"Your soulbond, to be honest," Dumbledore admitted, "There are many things that I have not told you, Mr. Potter, and most of them are concerned around Voldemort. I have been reluctant to tell you before, to allow you a proper childhood, but I realize that with yours and Mrs. Potter's history, you have never been a child, and I regret very much to say that it is my fault.

"Before you were born, a prophecy was created about you." Dumbledore recited the first prophecy that Harry had first heard in the old wizard's mind over a year ago. When he was done, he looked nearly disappointed about the lack of reaction. "Shortly after that another prophecy was made, by the same seer," Dumbledore said, and told Harry and Ginny the other prophecy, where Ginny was involved. "I saw it the moment you came out of the Chamber, but I thought that I myself should be the one to help Mr. Potter to fulfill the prophecy, so I thought it would be best to separate you. It is a decision I greatly regret now.

"The knowledge of your soulbond made me realize that it would never have been possible in any way. It is something that I should have realized a long time ago; however a prophecy is formed, it is no point in trying to manipulate it into how you would like it yourself. Things will happen the way they are meant to happen anyway.

Harry could barely contain his shock. All of the sudden, with slight bit of information, the headmaster turned up-side down , and Harry couldn't help but think that there was a hitch hidden, untold. So he asked.

"There is no hitch, Mr. Potter. I am telling you the full truth. Although, you don't seem surprised about the prophecies?" Dumbledore asked, curiosity gleaming madly in his eyes.

"That's because we weren't surprised. We already knew of both prophecies. Somehow we had to obtain knowledge when a certain someone refused to tell me anything," Harry said acidly.

"Indeed?" Dumbledore said with interest. "How could you know?"

Harry shrugged. "I have my ways."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I will assure you that I will not make another attempt to split you apart, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart for my sins. I hope that someday you will find it in you to forgive me." His expression was filled with sadness, and Ginny noted how sincere his emotions were.

"We can accept your apology, Headmaster, but I cannot forgive what you tried to do to Ginny that easily," Harry said solemnly.

"I understand that. Harry, have you ever considered what the prophecy means for you?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Yes," he said simply.

"And you understand it?"

He nodded. "Was there anything else?"

Dumbledore merely shook his head resignedly.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

As the end of February came to a close, Sirius' owl Poseidon swooped in through the windows of the Great Hall and took a landing in front of Ginny, toppling over the goblet of the first year sitting beside her.

"Oh! Hello, you!" she said brightly and relieved him of the letter tied to his leg. She waved her wand to clean up the pumpkin juice and place the goblet where it had been.

Neville peered over his eggs at her with interest. "What's he saying?"

"Let's see…" she muttered as she read the letter.

 _Dear Harry and Ginny,_

 _Congratulations with the success on the second task. I have to say that I'm impressed with how you managed it, Harry. Not that I didn't expect it to. Percy told us about it._

 _I'm sorry that the separation that night was so bad for you. I wish there was anything I could do to help. Did you know it would get this bad before Ginny was taken into the water? And do you know exactly why? Is it because she was unconscious, or because you went for so long without physical contact?_

 _All is well here, but Remus is getting restless with a lack of things to do. He is even trying to find a job to get something to do. I don't know if you know, but I can't imagine him telling you, but his birthday is March 10_ _th_ _. Maybe you should get him a birthday present?_

 _I will be going at a new meeting with the Committee for Werewolf Welfare in three weeks. We will discuss the effect of the new act. I've tried to convince Remus to come, but as usual, he refuses to. He tried out the new safe area last full moon; he's really happy with it. All the credit goes to you two for your brilliant idea. He was the most happy that no audience was around to gawk at them and oust people as werewolves during the transformation._

 _By the way, Remus wanted me to tell you that your Scottish Bittersweets have been eaten by an infestation of Cornish Pixies. I hope you saved some seeds from last year._

 _Sirius_

"Harry!" Ginny said loudly to break him out of his conversation with Viktor, who had taken place at the Gryffindor table for breakfast for once.

"What?" He turned his head and looked at her, "you don't have to yell, you know."

"Some bloody pixies have eaten the Bittersweets! And now that they were nearly big enough to be harvested!" she complained, waving Sirius' letter at him.

"They did?" he asked with surprise, "I didn't know pixies ate Bittersweets – or were vegetarians at all." He took the letter and skimmed through it. "Oh! Remus' birthday is coming up. What should we get for him?"

"Bittersweets," Ginny said darkly.

Harry snorted. "We just have to plant some new ones, then. What do you think Remus would like? A book?"

"Nah, he won't need it, not with the Potter Library within reach," Ginny said and rested her chin in her hands, thinking hard.

"What he really wants is a job, isn't it?" Harry muttered.

"How can you give him a job for his birthday, Harry?" Neville wondered, "it's not like you can force an employer to take him in."

Harry sat up sharply, his head spinning. "Employer… you might be right, Nev, but what if we make Remus the employer? What if we can get him a shop or something, that he can run like he wants to? He's a brilliant man, Gin, I'm sure he could do it well!" he said eagerly.

Ginny looked at him. "Of course he'd do well! It's Remus Lupin we're talking about! In my opinion, he should do whatever he'd like to do, but with all the stupid prejudiced people… Harry, can't we just get him an empty storefront in Diagon Alley or Inxbury or Hogsmeade? He could decide what he wants to do with it himself, if he wants a bookshop or apothecary or whatever?"

"Yes, that's great, Gin! We just have to sponsor him to give him a start," Harry said. He was already pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill.

"Are werewolves allowed to own their own establishments?" Neville asked, "wouldn't the Ministry restrict it for 'safety reasons'?"

"They tried to. Only, it didn't work. Things are starting to turn. It seems like Sirius got out to more people than we thought last summer at that conference. He's got a lot of supporters on the rights of werewolves and other non-human beings," Harry said. "They rebelled against the Ministry, who was forced to give in. That's why Cedric's dad was so mad at Sirius and Remus at the World Cup." He dipped the quill in the ink and began to write to Gringotts to see if they knew of any empty storefronts in magical Britain.

 _Gringotts Bank,_

 _It has come to my understanding that Gringotts is dealing with sales of commercial properties on behalf of wizards. I am interested in an empty storefront in Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade or Inxbury, although if there none available in the requested areas, please do inform me of any who are available, no matter where in Magical Britain they may be. Please include current owner and the price for the store._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Harry J. Potter_

Harry ran to the owlery after breakfast, which resulted in him nearly being late for Charms. At breakfast the following morning Harry looked up with anticipation. Ron tried to discourage him, claiming that owls weren't that fast, but he was argued to silence by Hermione, and at last proven wrong when a barn owl landed in front of Harry with a letter.

"Oh! Brilliant!" Harry grinned enthusiastically and took the letter that the owl dropped in his lap before it flew off.

"Told you, Ron," Hermione said victoriously watched Harry opened the envelope.

There were several pages stuffed inside, all of them falling onto the table when he turned it upside down. Ginny grabbed the first piece of parchment, finding the main letter at once.

"'Dear Mr. Potter'," she read, "'You are correct; Gringotts does indeed manage sales of commercial properties in Diagon Alley and the shopping areas of magical villages and towns in Britain. I have included copies of the properties available in Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and Inxbury, as you requested. Sincerely, Harfang, Gringotts Bank.'"

In the meantime Harry was looking through the six advertisements enclosed in the envelope. Three of them were from Inxbury, one in Hogsmeade and two in Diagon Alley.

"There are no pictures," Hermione observed, "you'll have to go visit, don't you?"

"Yes, I know," Harry said. He was reading through the two advertisements for a very small shop that had previously been a bookshop and one slightly larger two-story property that according to the text still had the interior from its days as a butcher's shop. Both were in Inxbury, but both were also unfitting as gifts for Remus. As he flicked through the other ones he decided on potentially two properties. One was in Inxbury; an old antique shop, which which was spacious enough for whatever Remus would want to do with it. The other one was a large shop in Diagon Alley. It had previously been a wizarding equipment store, and was by far the largest, being on three floors.

"That seems good," Ginny agreed, not even looking at the information slip that Harry was reading. The others were so used to this kind of behaviour that they easily let it slide. "Do you think we could have a look at it after school?"

"You mean sneak out?" Hermione hissed lowly, glancing uncertainly around to see if anyone were listening in.

"Do you have a better idea?" Harry challenged.

"No, but… what if someone asks?"

"Then say we are busy in our room." He raised a brow at her and finished the last of his breakfast before he left.

Harry and Ginny didn't have the opportunity to leave the school before the following Friday. They had been in contact with the current owner, who was having several people over to inspect the building. In these incidences it was no benefit to have your face plastered on the front of the _Daily Prophet_ nearly every week, but there was nothing they could do about it.

As the sun started to set, Harry and Ginny shifted into their eagle and cat forms and headed down towards Hogsmeade relatively unseen. The very moment they passed through the wards of the school, they joined up, turned back and apparated.

Diagon Alley was odd in the twilight. Lanterns dimly lit up the still snow-covered houses from their places by the doors. The snow on the cobbled ground was so hard-trodden that it was slightly slippery. Occasionally, some of the snow on the roofs would slide down and hit the ground with a _ploff_ , leaving behind heaps of snow everywhere.

A few people were still outside, and several shops were still open, as it was not yet dinnertime. However, the kind of people started to change. The families with children and the wizards on their way home from work were exchanged by drunkenly swaying and swearing witches and wizards coming from the Leaky Cauldron.

As Harry and Ginny passed an occasional person was seen through the muntined windows, and in the distance a cat yowled loudly. A plump witch with a screaming child in her arm hurried past, not offering a them a single glance. To their left a door opened, and a tall wizard strode out of Flourish and Blotts, his arms full of books. He walked off towards the Leaky Cauldron with long strides.

"Ninety-four, love," Ginny said as Harry watched the numbers on the shops as they passed. They were dressed in ordinary dark green and cream robes, with the traditional wide-brimmed hats on, so for other people they merely looked like a small couple doing some shopping after work.

"There," said Harry and lead her towards a large shop wedged between an apothecary and a shop that looked like an abandoned wizarding clothing shop. The store in question was visibly larger than the ones on either side. The signs in the windows advertised closing sale, and magical instruments and weight scales that were displayed had signs like _"50 % off on all scales"_ or _"2 for 1 Talking Mirrors"_.

They made their way into the shop, where a couple of other wizards and witches were talking to a stocky, balding wizard by the counter. He looked up when the bell on the door rang, and beamed widely.

"Mr. Potter! Welcome!"

The other visitors turned sharply and stared at him in hopes of recognizing him. "Potter? As in Harry Potter?"

Ginny looked up and glared at the witch who had asked. She backed away, looking slightly indimidated.

"Afternoon, Mr. Trapp," Harry said politely and proceeded to look around.

The place was apparently newly cleaned, as the windows, contrasting the rather dusty and grimy windows of some of the other shops in the Alley, were impeccably clean. The ground floor wasvery spacious, if one ignored the last pieces of instruments and items heaped up by the corners. The building itself gave evidence that it had not been changed much since its creation in the mid sixteen hundreds. Imagining the shop without any interior or people wasn't that hard, seeing how empty it was already. A handsome staircase ran up to second floor.

Ginny moved over and rested her cheek against his shoulder. "What do you think, darling?"

Harry studied the magic that were integrated with the building, keeping it strong and upright after hundreds of years. "May I ask you who owned it before you, sir?" he asked Mr. Trapp, who leaped over in two long strides, ignoring the other visitors.

"Unfortunately, I don't know. It had been in disuse for several years when I bought it," Mr. Trapp explained. "You must pardon me, Mr. Potter, but I thought you were going at Hogwarts?"

Harry gave a dry snort. "I'm here looking for a present for a close friend of mine. My wife and I thought that this might suit, hence our visit. May we see the upper floors?"

Mr. Trapp looked intrigued, and sucked up to every word. "Oh! O-Of course, Mr. Potter! I will show you!"

Ginny straighened and took Harry's hand as they headed upsairs with Mr. Trapp and the other visitors, who were still eyeing Harry and Ginny curiously. The now empty storage room was surprisingly large, nearly the same size as the whole ground floor, with the exception of a small break room that looked like it had never been used. Mr. Trapp seemed to want to hide it from view as well, claiming he hadn't had the time to clean there.

"I won't even consider buying anything that might keep a secret that I'm not aware of, Mr. Trapp," Harry warned, "I've had too many encounters with Dark magic to allow that to happen.

"Naturally, Mr. Potter," Mr. Trapp hurried to say and showed it to them.

Lastly they were shown the empty loft. Most of it was covered with cobwebs and dust, and it smelled funny after having been closed and unused for a long time.

"What do you want for it?" asked a round wizard who Ginny suggested to Harry that perhaps was part leprechaun, because she thought he looked like an overgrown one.

"I'm not going below eighty thousand galleons," Mr. Trapp said.

The leprechaun-like wizard sighed. "Well, I don't think I have much hopes then, unless you are willing to lower?"

"Afraid not, sir," Mr. Trapp shook his head.

"You really think you can sell this place for that much?" the wizard said critically.

"It's Diagon Alley, sir!" Mr. Trapp complained.

"Very well," said the wizard before he left out the door of the shop.

Mr. Trapp looked at the witch that had joined the inspection. She was looking around thoughtfully.

"What about you, Mrs. Cantrell?"

"Not at all! It's too large for my plans. Though, it would turn out nice if it was furnished better and lightened a little. A stroke of paint to brighten the room wouldn't be too bad, but in addition to that price, I will not be able to afford it. It was nice to see your shop, though," said the other visitor, a young, thin witch with golden blonde hair standing out like a halo beneath her witch's hat. She beamed at Harry and Ginny and walked off, humming.

Mr. Trapp looked slightly downcast. Ginny refused to give him sympathy for it; he had after all priced the building way too high for their taste.

"If you lower it to sixty-five thousand, you've got a deal," Harry said, tensely watching as Mr. Trapp considered the offer.

"I did say that I wouldn't lower," he began.

Ginny interrupted, hooking her left arm into Harrys. "Eighty thousand is a bloody price to expect with this shop here, even if it is in Diagon Alley. There is nothing that stands out that makes it worth the price. Yes, it is large, but that's not a good enough reason."

"But sixty-five, Mr. Potter?" Mr. Trapp said helplessly.

"How much did you buy it for?" Harry demanded.

"Seventy-nine thousand," Mr Trapp said, shifting uncomfortably. "And with the changes in the economy…"

"I do not appreciate it when people lie to me," Ginny said sharply. Her angry tone reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley, and he was glad it wasn't aimed at him. "We have good friends and contacts who would very much like to know how great a fraud you are."

Mr. Trapp paled. Harry knew that if they were getting anywhere with this, they had to act sharply. Being docile and diplomatic would not work on this man and many others as well. They had to act like the high-status family the Potters were, even though they might not like it, and did it only when they really had to.

"I-I… I'm not lying, Mrs. Potter," Mr. trapp tried.

"Really?" She raised a brow at him and gave him another annoyed glare. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he suddenly found the floor very interesting.

"I paid thirty-six thousand, madam," he spoke lowly.

Harry and Ginny had to bite back the surprise. "So you tried to sell us a house for more than twice the original price? And you thought no-one would notice? Let's hear, then, if the Law Enforcement Patrol will notice, shall we?"

"Alright, alright, you may have the shop for whatever you like!" Mr. Tripp exclaimed desperately, his eyes watering cowardly, "just don't make them send me to Azkaban!"

"That is for us to decide. We will contact you when we have made a decision regarding the shop," Harry bit back harshly, turned and left the shop in urgent strides, Ginny still attached to his arm.

 _Greedy bastard,_ she muttered indignantly and tightened her hold on Harry as he side-along apparated them back to Hogsmeade. _Are you really going to tell the Law Enforcement Patrol, Harry?_

 _Yes. I'll write to them once we get back,_ Harry said. He transformed and flew back to the castle, while Ginny hid as a firefly amongst his feathers.

 _I think that place is a great shop for Remus. He can do whatever he wants with. He just have to change the interior,_ she said.

Once back in the Gryffindor tower they were met by Hermione, who was trying to convince her fellow Gryffindors to use S.P.E.W. badges, Ron and Neville, the latter of whom was being trounced in chess, and Fred and George, who were scheming in a sofa near Ron and Neville.

"How did it go?" Neville asked when Harry and Ginny approached.

"It was interesting," Harry said and pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink from his school bag, which he had left in the common room when they had left. "The owner tried to trick us into paying eighty thousand for something he himself didn't even pay fourty thousand galleons for."

Hermione looked shocked. "You have to tell the Aurors, Harry. He can't get away with it!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" he retorted and began the letter.

It didn't take much time. Hedwig left with the letter right before curfew, and to Harry's great surprise had stayed behind at the Ministry, awaiting the answer. She arrived at they Gryffindor Tower the next night. Harry found her waiting on the window sill, sleeping, the morning after.

Trying not to wake her, he removed the letter from her leg and moved back into bed with Ginny, as it was very early yet. She pushed herself up on her elbows to read with him.

 _Mr. Harry Potter,_

 _Thank you for Your tip. I assure You that Mr. Godwin Trapp has been captured by the Law Enforcement Patrol, and is now facing a sentence of six years in Azkaban, and the loss of his shop. As You have stated Your desire to buy the shop in concern, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement have decided to offer it to You to twenty thousand galleons. Consider the lowered price a reward for Your tip._

 _I have included the contract of ownership for You, which You only need to fill out and send in return._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Herbert Porthcombe,_

 _Department of Magical Law Enforcement,_

 _Magical Law Enforcement Patrol._

Harry pulled out another piece of parchment from the envelope. It was indeed a contract of the transfer of ownership. The part which was supposed to be filled out by the owner, had the Ministry's information.

"You can't write Remus' name on it now. If he doesn't want it, then it'd be rude to do that," Ginny said and leaned over to watch what he did.

"I'll write my own, then," Harry said and pulled out stationery. He filled in the missing areas and folded the letter before stuffing it into the pocket of his school bag to send later. Hedwig was probably tired.

But he had just emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later after readying himself for school when a hoot from Hedwig called his attention.

"Morning, Hedwig," he said and ran his fingers through her soft feathers. "I've got a letter for you to the Ministry, but I suppose you're tired, so you'll get it later."

Hedwig seemed to have an other idea, though. She fluttered to his arm and held out her leg while she glared at him with indignation. Ginny laughed as she peered out of the bathroom. She fished out the letter from Harry's bag and tied it to Hedwig's leg.

"There you go, then," she said and stroked her head gently before returning to the bathrom, beaming at Harry.


	34. The Beginning of The End

_Dear Remus,_

 _We heard from Sirius that your birthday was coming up. He also wrote that you have been looking for a job. We don't want you to feel that you're expensive and bothersome(which, knowing you, you would be likely to think), but we can understand that you might get a little bored and restless, so we would like to offer you some help._

 _Harry bought an empty shop in Diagon Alley. Go to number 94 and have a look at it. We bought it as your birthday gift, so – happy birthday. If you want to we can transfer the ownership to you. In any case, we want you to do whatever you want with it. We give you the honour of being Managing Director for your new shop, so we add two thousand galleons to help you get started. Our hope is that it'll help you ease your economic worries, despite how miniscule they are while we have a say in the matter, and to give you something useful to do with your time._

 _Love,_

 _Harry and Ginny._

Remus stared at the letter with shock while Sirius gazed at him concernedly across the table in the early evening.

"Well? What does it say?" he demanded.

Head spinning, Remus thrust the letter towards him. Sirius read the letter with eyes growing wider and wider with every line until a big grin spread across his face that made Remus get slightly wary of whatever it was that spun around in his mind.

"Why haven't _I_ thought of that?" Sirius exclaimed happily. "We should go and have a look today! Right now, in fact! Get your coat on!" He leaped out of the chair by the kitchen table and sprinted out of the room with Remus still baffled in the same position.

Why did they have to give him a whole store? Telling them the date of his birthday, knowing that they would come up with a gift, and with the great hospitality he'd alredy received from Harry and Ginny; he couldn't very well do it with good conscience. And now they had still gotten ears of it, and they had given him an enormous gift. Not just a physical one, but also an opportunity to get himself a job.

Immediately the possibilities for the new gift flooded his mind. He couldn't help the guilty feelings creeping up on him, though. He really shouldn't accept this gift. Harry had spent so much money on it – way too much money.

"Remus, are you coming?" Sirius called, emerging back into the kitchen, dressed in his navy travelling cloak and carrying Remus' in his arms.

"I… I can't accept it. It's too much. All the money Harry spent on it – "

"Will be well worth it! I doubt you could even make him take it back because of that silly statement," Sirius said. "Perhaps you could talk him into paying him back?"

"What makes you think I'm going to take over and own it? I'd rather give him the profits," Remus said glumly.

"Then do that!" Sirius said and dragged him out of the chair by his arm. "Come on!"

With a determined Sirius in charge, they flooed to the Leaky Cauldron.

Sirius merely nodded politely to Tom, the barman, on the way through. Remus was amazed at how he didn't even slow down to look at the things displayed in the shop windows, like he usually did. Thus, they reached nr. 94 Diagon Alley on record time. The door seemed locked, and its insides were dark, but the moment Remus' hand touched the door knob in an attempt to open it, the door slid open.

Remus stepped tentatively inside the room. It was bare from anything except for a counter in the far corner. He had a look around the building, his awe increasing while his sense of reality decreased. After all his struggles with poverty and lycanthropy, it seemed too surreal to suddenly have the possibility to open his very own shop. They had a look on the floors above too, which were twice as dusty and dark as the ground floor.

"So, do you have any ideas?" Sirius asked as he opened the drawers in the counter to check if there was anything left.

Remus shook his head. "I've got absolutely none."

Sirius smiled. He looked far calmer now that he'd had a look at the property. "Come on. Let's have a drink at the Leaky Cauldron. This deserves some celebration!"

At first Remus was hesitant, but a while later he found himself by the bar with a mug of butterbeer while Sirius opted for something far stronger, a Scotch Tea, which felt so cold that Tom had served the glass with a napkin wrapped around it.

"Brilliant for hot days," Sirius said and shuddered.

Remus smiled faintly at him and looked around to study their fellow bar visitors.

Today it had some rather rare visitors; a couple of vampires were discussing something in rapid French a little further down the bar. By a round table, busy eating soup and bread, sat two wizards, glaring at the vampires as if they were dirt on their shoes.

Then, just as Remus watched, one of the wizards stood, standing tall and proud like a pureblood, and stepped over to the vampires.

"Pardon me, but this is a wizard's pub. I don't know if France allows _beasts_ like you in their pubs, but in Britain, we don't. You'd better leave. For your own good," he snarled coldly.

The vampires looked at him, and then exchanged a baffled look while Tom loomed simply horrified.

"Mr. Nott, I don't think – "

"Well, Tom, you really shouldn't let scum into your pub. Soon enough one of us will be turned into a vampire ourselves, or be served as drinking goblet!"

Remus felt sick. He recognized the same prejudice that he himself was met by those who knew what he was; the fear that he would cause harm outside of full moon, and in this case that the vampires didn't have enough self-control to stop their natural urges. It was something that nearly every non-human being faced every time they went out in public.

He stood and hurried out of the pub, back into Diagon Alley and down the street. Finding number ninety-four again, he pushed through the door and stared at the empty room. But in his mind he started to see something different from the dusty old shop. A bar with glasses, bottles and barrels in the corner instead of the counter, a few stools on this side, and a handful of tables around the room. Of course, the walls had to be changed; they might be clean, but the magic keeping it in order was old, so the wood was rotting away and a few windows were cracked.

His mind played with several ideas. He wanted something lighter than the usual shadowy and dark pubs he'd seen around. But he wanted to create a place for all those like himself who were struggling with prejudice towards non-human beings. He wasn't sure whether vampires would prefer a light room to a dark one. Not that they came out before sunset anyway. It probably didn't matter as long as the sun was down, he decided.

And then, upstairs he could create some bedrooms instead of that large store room. Although, he had to make sure there were beds large enough to fit Barbarians, and even Hagrid, should he decide to visit. Of course, he had to have a small storage of coffins should vampires come by and ask for a room.

As his mind was forming out the new inn, Sirius entered. "There you are! What did you have to take off for?"

"Hm?" Remus began, being torn away from his imaginary world. "Oh. I figured what I want to use this for. I'm going to make an inn, which welcomes all those who struggle with the same sort of prejudice as I do. I want it to be a safe place to stay, knowing you don't have to face rude comments and ignorance of your species."

Sirius lit up in a wide smile. "You're a genius! It has to be open for non-prejudiced wizards too, though! You can't shut me out," he said smugly.

After some more minutes of daydreaming, Remus and Sirius returned to Potter Palace and began drafting a letter for the construction charmer that held a small office in a corner of Diagon Alley, hoping to schedule a meeting. Then they prepared a letter for Harry and Ginny for Poseidon to take when he returned from London.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Even more was at stake for the third task, Harry knew. This time not only his dear Ginny was in danger, but the whole wizarding world. He faithfully used Professor McGonagall and Snape for advice – not about the general task, but to make plans in how to deal with Voldemort. They both, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who they wrote to about the matter, agreed that it was better that he got away with Voldemort resurrected than stay and get killed.

"If you can get away, there will be a new opportunity. Mind, you have to get the snake too," Professor McGonagall said, "he is a clever wizard, Potter, and he will get suspicious. Try to make it look like an accident if you can."

Snape thought that Voldemort was very likely to call on his Death Eaters soon after resurrection. He offered to come, and to help Harry if he needed it.

"If you're certain, then come, but don't show where your loyalty lies until you're absolutely forced to. If I can't kill him, then you'd be in great trouble," Harry had told him, which was just him stating the obvious.

The importance of exams for Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville had been severely downplayed with the risk of another war approaching. Fred and George couldn't have cared less about their exams anyway. They, like Harry, spent most of their time reading up on and practicing defensive and offensive magic.

As the third task approached a change appeared in both Snape and McGonagall. She was getting more and more anxious, and Harry bore the brunt of most of it when she kept correcting his magical work and pushing him on to more and more advanced charms compared to his class mates. Snape showed his nervousness just slightly differently. He got short-tempered and snapped at his students for only the smallest things. Crouch jr. was the complete opposite. He became more and more excited, eager and impatient. Mr. Crouch wisely stayed away from Hogwarts outside the times when he was required to be there.

Breakfast was noisy on the day of the third task. Harry was so nervous he felt like vomiting, and didn't get to eat much. He got his Firebolt let himself drift into his own world as he flew. Viktor soon joined him, apparently being just as nervous. To get their minds off things while their friends were doing their exams, they challenged each other in the most daring stunts and the fastest flights.

During one the Wronski Feints with Viktor hot on his tail a shriek drew his attention while he dived. He pulled out of the dive and looked down to see Mrs. Weasley standing on the ground, her hand clutching her chest and a panic-stricken face. Beside her were Mr. Weasley, who was squinting up at Harry, Sirius, who was jumping in excitement, Bill with an awe-struck expression, and the ever-calm Remus, but with a proud smile on his face.

"Oh!" Harry exclaimed. He floated down and landed on the ground beside them. Viktor landed beside him, watching the new arrivals curiously.

"Hi! What are you all doing here?" Harry gasped as he was pulled into a fierce hug by Mrs. Weasley.

"We've come to watch the third task," Sirius said happily, "but I certainly don't mind seeing you fly like that more often!"

"Are you mad, Harry? You could've been killed in a dive like that!" Mrs. Weasley fussed and began to brush away non-existent dust from his robes.

"I've got control, Mrs. Weasley," Harry assured her. "Viktor, this is my godfather Sirius, my… err… pseudo-godfather Remus, Gin's parents Molly and Arthur Weasley and her brother Bill. They're my family. Everyone, this is Viktor Krum. He's become a great friend of ours during the tournament."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Viktor said politely and shook hands with them, ending with a slightly star-struck Sirius. "Harry has told me a lot about you."

They headed back up to the castle, where Professor McGonagall was waiting. She showed them to the side chamber by the Great Hall. Fleur was already there, chatting animatedly with her mother and Gabrielle, who was holding her mother's hand. Cedric was surrounded by both his mother and his father, whereas a dark-haired woman and a tall man beamed brightly to Viktor, who strode off.

"Charlie wanted to come too, you know," Mrs. Weasley said, "but he couldn't make it."

"It's alright. This is brilliant," Harry said, smiling. He really did feel glad that they were turning up to support him.

"He's gone on and on about how you defeated that Horntail," Bill said, "he's really impressed."

To his left Harry could see the interested looks that Fleur kept shooting in Bill's direction, and smiled faintly. Only if Ginny had been there…

 _Wanting blackmail material?_ Ginny's voice sounded mischievously in his mind.

 _Later. If we survive this._

 _You're no fun,_ Ginny replied and returned to her Herbology exam.

They had a walk around the lake to pass the time. Sirius and Bill were very interested in Harry's flying skills, and especially the fact that he was flying with the world's best seeker. Mrs. Weasley was worrying, and Mr. Weasley and Remus were discussing both the task and what would happen once Harry touched the TriWizard cup. It lead to Harry putting up a silencing charm around them to prevent eavesdroppers. Not that there was any risk of it until lunch.

Amos Diggory made some rather rude comments about Harry, something Mr. Weasley was quick to correct on. He then turned on Remus.

"I hear you're starting a business, werewolf?"

Sirius snarled in anger. "Speak properly to people, or we'll call you pureblooded racist!" he snapped back, copying Harry's threats to Malfoy.

Mr. Diggory didn't even look at Sirius. His focus was solely aimed on Remus. "I don't understand how beasts like you are allowed to work in such a public place as Diagon Alley, much less own a shop there."

"Father," Cedric interrupted, his cheeks red in embarrassment, "Mr. Lupin isn't dangerous! You'd have to be an idiot to think that! Are you an idiot, father? Don't you know anything about werewolves?"

"I know that they're mindless killers who stop at nothing to prey on humans!" Mr. Diggory said sharply, glaring at Remus, who looked very uncomfortable and flustered.

"For twelve hours!" Harry growled. "For twelve hours out of a month! Tell me, Mr. Diggory; what if you were condemned to poverty, prejudice and constant discrimination, only because of an illness that isn't your fault? How would you feel? How would you react? Wouldn't you be angry?"

"I'd hunt down the bastard who attacked me, of course!" Mr. Diggory snapped, "what are you getting at, boy?"

"Would you? If you were forced to turn into a werewolf for twelve hours of a month, during those few hours you had no control of what you did, but you still had the memory to regret whatever you did during the full moon's influence… if you had a choice, would you want to infect others with the same disease that you have?"

"Don't be silly, boy!" Mr. Diggory barked, his face going red in anger, "I'm no monster!"

"And neither is Remus! He wouldn't want to hurt anyone if he could help it! He is no different than you in that aspect, Mr. Diggory; neither of you would want to hurt others. It's not his fault he's got lycanthropy. That's why the werewolf community is so happy about the new safe area."

"Well!" Mr. Diggory snarled, but his voice began to lose the passion, "how do you explain those who _do_ go around and attack people?"

This time it wasn't Harry who answered.

"Like Harry said, if you were stepped on and pushed down by the Ministry, who made laws and were prejudiced enough to prevent you from getting a proper job, would it be so strange that – I'm not saying that Mr. Lupin does, of course, but that other werewolves might want to take revenge on the Ministry? Don't take it the way I think you do, father, because you can't crush them by restraining them even more. If the society was more supportive, they might be more cooperative. You're missing some brilliant minds out there already. Mr. Lupin is the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher that I've had – "

"Me too!" Harry joined in.

" – and they would be wasted stuck in a lowly cleaning job or something because no-one would hire a werewolf!"

Remus's face was bright red, and his gaze was firmly locked on the ground while Sirius kept nodding in agreement with every sentence or so.

"What's the danger, Mr. Diggory? Now that the safe areas are up and in good use, why should we keep up silly prejudice?" Harry asked. "How would innocent victims of an illness be dangerous when they're just themselves? Like you and me and Cedric?"

"There are still dangerous werewolves out there!" Mr. Diggory insisted, determined to be right.

"I'm not saying there isn't, but with the new law, you have the possibility to get those who on purpose try to infect other people. Just leave the innocent ones alone. Werewolves aren't all bad," Harry finished. He gave Mr. Diggory a last look and walked off, the others hurrying after him.

"That was awesome!" Sirius exclaimed, grinning madly.

"Hopefully that will teach him!" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Wish we could've written down that speech," Mr. Weasley said, "would be turning the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures upside down in a moment."

"In that case, I'll gladly write a speech for you, Mr. Weasley," Harry said passionately.

"Things are already changing with that law of yours, Harry. Do you remember that anonymous article?" Mr. Weasley said. Harry nodded. "Well, it seems that there are more werewolf supporters than we thought at the Ministry. They're working to turn people around. I know for a fact that Madam Bones is one of them. I'm sure your inn in the middle of Diagon Alley will do great, Remus. That's exactly what the non-human beings have hoped for!" He clapped Remus enthusiastically on the back.

"Yes, well… let's just get Harry through this awful task and what accompanies it first."

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

After dinner the champions were asked to go down to the Quidditch pitch ten minutes ahead of the others. Ginny gave Harry a very visible good luck-kiss, and their now pale and nervous-looking friends and family offered him luck-wishings as well.

At the Quidditch pitch Harry barely listened to what Bagman said. His nervousness had returned with full force; he felt like giving up and hide from the world. As he stared into the dark passage he was about to enter, he heard the stands filling up. In his mind he repeated all the defensive and offensive spells that he knew and what they could be used for. His stomach hurt. He wanted to throw up.

The four patrollers were sent off; Hagrid whispered a "Good luck, Harry" to him.

"Sonorus," Harry heard Bagman say. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the third and final task of the TriWizard Tournament is about to begin."

 _The beginning of the end. The beginning of everything,_ Harry heard from Ginny.

"Let me remind you how the points currently stand! In first place, Mr. Harry Potter of Hogwarts with ninety points! Behind him is Mr. Cedric Diggory, also Hogwarts, with an honourable eighty-five points, and on third place, with eighty points – Mr. Viktor Krum from Durmstrang! And last, but not least is Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons!"

Harry couldn't care less if the school applauded him so loud that birds hurried away, startled.

"So on my whistle, Mr. Potter," Harry heard Bagman's voice saying.

Harry tensed and prepared for the mountainous task ahead of him. How was he supposed to kill Voldemort, a monster that had killed so many before him, and his own parents in addition? Right now the prospect seemed bleak and stupid. Bagman counted down and blew, and Harry ran immediately into the maze. At the very least he had to get to the cup before anyone else. He couldn't risk them getting in trouble with Voldemort, and most likely killed for no apparent reason but an accident.

The hedges loomed on either side of him, dark and threatening. Everything was dead silent. Not even the crowd was heard. The only thing that could distract him from the noise was Ginny's voice. It sounded clear in his mind, all the background noise around her filtered away. She was there with him, watching, hearing, feeling, thinking.

There was a fork in the maze. Harry followed his intuition and ran left. He skidded to a halt at the sight of a shapeless black shroud on the ground. Heart pounding, he lifted his wand.

 _What is that, Harry?_ Ginny asked, fear floating over on Harry; he pushed it away and replaced it with the lovliest memories of himself with Ginny the hammock on a warm summer's day at Potter Palace.

 _Lethifold,_ he grunted. "Expecto Patronum!" he yelled. His large eagle spread its silver wings and swooped down towards the lethifold, which quickly slid underneath the hedges. Harry ran past it just as he heard the whistle, signalizing that Cedric had entered.

With the guide of the Four-Point spell ("Point Me") he managed to navigate north-west through the maze a little further, and soon enough heard the signals of Viktor and Fleur entering. He had to hurry. He easily got past the Hippogriff stationed in his way, and past the boggart, that as usual took the form of Ginny's body, dead and mangled. He was prepared this time, however, and got past it in seconds. A golden mist turned everything uncomfortably upside down for a moment. Occasionally he got lost in some dead ends, and had to double back.

A loud scream pierced the silence.

"Fleur?" Harry shouted. He used his magical senses to locate her, Cedric and Viktor. He must be near the cup if Crouch felt the need to perform the Imperius Curse on Viktor. He continued through the maze, wrestling a Blast-Ended Screwt and clubbing aside a troll on the way. He back-tracked several times before he heard Cedric's yell.

"Viktor, what are you doing – ?"

It was nearby. Why hadn't he paid attention?

"Crucio!"

Harry ran, his heart pounding fast. He nearly stumbled in Cedric's writhing body. Viktor was standing right by, his wand aimed at him and a blank look on his face. Harry disarmed him, briefly considering just lifting the imperius curse. But then he realized that Crouch would probably not hesitate to do the same if he needed it.

"I'm sorry, mate," he said. "Stupefy!"

He watched Viktor collapse to the ground, feeling an odd mixture of guilt and relief. Guilt for ending the competition for Viktor in such a bad fashion, but relieved that he wouldn't be forced to act on Crouch's command. As Cedric sat up, Harry aimed his wand at Viktor's chest and summoned his magic, just like he had when freeing Mr. Crouch from the Imperius Curse.

"What – what are you doing, Harry?" Cedric said?"

"Lifting the spell" He then raised his wand to the sky and fired red sparks so they were visible above the hedges. "Let's move on. He'll be safe."

"What was that? Why did he do that – "

"The Imperius Curse," Harry said darkly.

"Did you hear Fleur earlier?" Cedric asked.

Harry nodded. "Suppose Viktor got to her too." He then moved on without another word.

He continued to use the Four-Point spell regularly as he ran, now glad for all the endurance training Viktor and Wood had put him through. After wasting some time solving a Sphinx' riddle, he caught sight of the maze in the end of a long corridor. He ran. He ran as fast as he possibly could, and suddenly heard Cedric right behind him.

"Ooph!"

He glanced over his shoulder. A large Acromantula had knocked Cedric down on the ground. His wand lay several feet away, out of reach. Harry reacted on pure instinct and fired stunners and curses at it, but to no avail. It was too big and too magical. All he did was to aggravate it. It swirled around to face him, thus knocking out Cedric with one of its leg in his head.

Harry decided to change stratergy. He used a hover charm on the Acromantula instead, making it lift up above the maze to avoid hitting Cedric. Summoning a large ball of magical power within him, he used the blasting curse. It worked just like he had hoped. Too strong for any ordinary wizard, and just enough to blast a giant spider into thousand pieces.

As the remains fell to the ground, Harry turned and looked at Cedric. He was still unconscious. Harry lifted his wand and did the same red sparks that he had done to mark Viktor's location. Then he walked on. The greatest task lay before him.

He grabbed the portkey and felt the hook behind his navel as he was lifted off the ground. The next moment he found himself sprawled on the grass in an entirely different place.

It was indeed the graveyard he had seen in Crouch's mind. Overgrown and slightly misty, and with a dark church towering in the distance. Mountains surrounded the graveyards on both sides, and on a nearby hill was a large, old house. The Riddle House. He wasn't in Scotland anymore.

He got to his feet quickly and looked around for Wormtail. His magic was very evident; he was nearby, and so was Voldemort, although in an awful, inhuman form.

"Stupefy!"

The red light hurled towards him. A minor shield stopped it; he threw himself on the ground, pretending to be stunned, but his wand tightly clutched in his hand, just in case. He entered Wormtail's mind to be one step ahead.

He was pulled to one of the gravestones; a large one with the imprint _Tom Riddle_. Voldemort's father was buried right beneath his feet. Wormtail's magical signature appeared in front of him, but Harry didn't dare to open his eyes and look at the traitor, lest he'd give himself away.

Wormtail tied him tightly to the grave, hands trembling and breathing fast. Then he pushed a large stone cauldron over to the grave, wheezing as he did. Harry wondered why he didn't just locomotor it, especially when it was full with potion. As Wormtail was struggling to light the fire beneath it, Harry felt the unfamiliar magic of an animal approaching. He saw it through Wormtail's eyes; a large snake approaching from the darkness of the forest near the graveyard. It approached the grave Harry was tied at, and he resisted the urge to tense.

 _It's the horcrux, Harry,_ Ginny said.

 _I can't kill it now, it might ruin the resurrection._

"Hurry!" Harry heard Voldemort's cold, high voice urge Wormtail on.

He had finally lit the fire. The heat could be felt even at his distance from the cauldron. The magic in the potion began to dance. It bounced and swirled and changed as it heated up. Harry severely disliked the kind of magic that it contained. It was sickeningly dark, and strongly related to blood.

"It's ready, Master," Wormtail wheezed. He moved over and picked up Voldemort, dropping him into the bubbling potion.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" Wormtail said.

Harry felt the earth change beneath him, and through Wormtail saw a bone flying out of it and land with a splash into the cauldron. Wormtail whimpered as he drew a knife from his robes. It was silver. He didn't have to look through Wormtail to see that; its magic was bright.

"F-Flesh – from the s-servant – willingly given," Wormtail said. Harry doubted that it was very willingly given at all. But at least, Wormtail wasn't acting under the Imperius Curse, so he still chose to be there, even if it was out of fear. "You will revive your master."

He stretched out his right hand in front of him and held it over the cauldron. He clutched his dagger tightly and swung it upwards. The pain that followed made Harry pull out of Wormtail's mind, but it still didn't let him escape the horrid scream that echoed over the graveyard.

"Blood from the enemy," he was surprised to find Wormtail standing straight in front of him and grudgingly admitted that he was impressed by the discipline that Voldemort had drilled into him to keep him from cowardly coiling up in pain. "Forcibly taken, you shall resurrect your foe."

Harry had known it was coming. But he couldn't prevent the pain. Instead he pretended that the pain itself had roused him from the stunner. He gasped as the cold blade swiped down his arm. The warm blood trickled out.

He looked up to see Wormtail scooping up some of it into a vial, which he then brought over to the cauldron and emptied the vial in it. His task done, Wormtail collapsed on the cround, cradling his arm in agony. White smoke billowed out of the cauldron. A thin skeleton of a man rose from the cauldron, pale as a ghost and with eyes red as a demon's. Rather than nose, he had just slits. He looked like a cross between a snake and a human – what Amos Diggory would rightfully call a monster.

He stepped out of the cauldron and stared at Harry, whose nightmares had been haunted by that face for the last three years(fortunately less frequent after his bonding with Ginny – after all, the man couldn't and wouldn't understand the love that they had).

Wormtail was ordered up to put a robe on his master, and the snake slithered into sight again. Harry knew that he had to, so when every fibre in his body wanted him not to, he dived into Riddle's mind. It was so dark, so awful that he knew that if he dived deeper, he wouldn't come back out with a straight mind. He pulled Ginny's mind closer to him for support.

She was watching intently, having moved away from the stands along with the rest of the Weasleys, Sirius, Remus, Hermione and Neville. Snape was there too, all gathered around her, listening as she told them what happened.

"He has pressed the Dark Mark," Snape hissed in pain and pulled back his sleeve. His mark had turned jet black. "He is calling."

Ginny looked at him with surprising clearness in her eyes, despite her tightly woven connection with Harry at the moment. "Are you going?"

"Does he need it?"

"I don't know," Ginny admitted. "Voldemort seems to want to duel him first, though. At least, that's what on his mind. He wants to play first. He doesn't know the full extent of Harry's powers."

"Good," Mrs. Weasley said. She was pale, and her hands were tightly holding on to Mr. Weasley's hand.

Sirius was pacing restlessly beside them, while Neville stood like frozen, looking slightly green.


	35. Revelations

Harry looked around on the Death Eaters gathered around Riddle and did his best to identify them. Now and then he struggled, but then Voldemort adressed each one of those congregated. Avery. Malfoy. Macnair. Crabbe. Goyle. Nott. Snape.

He listened closely to Riddle's speech, trying to remember every word of it. The aspect of his mother's sacrifice had been unfamiliar to him, but it helped him understand the prophecy better. Now, with his blood in Riddle's veins, he could not die as long as Voldemort lived. That was why Dumbledore had wanted him to sacrifice himself in the first place. But why couldn't he have told him?

Riddle's Cruciatus Curse felt nothing compared to the pain during the night while Ginny had been in the lake. Still, it wasn't nothing, although the desire to die away from the pain was there. Then it disappeared. Harry glared defiantly at Riddle. Then, with swipe of his hand, he freed himself from the ropes and stepped away from the gravestone. Gasps and exclamations rode through the Death Eaters, whereas Riddle looked at him with a raised brow.

"Oh well. I was about to release you anyway. You have been taught how to duel, haven't you, Harry?" Riddle's red eyes glinted eagerly through the dark night.

Harry could feel the anticipation in his mind.

"First we bow to each other," Riddle said, bending a little.

Harry decided to play along. So he bowed very faintly.

"And then we duel."

Having known what was coming, Harry gracefully stepped aside from the Cruciatus Curse and sent his own barricade of offensive spells at Riddle, who was then forced to go defensively until it stopped. But Harry didn't stop. He put all his power into the spells; blasting curses, severing charms, hexes and jinxes were fired in quick succession.

"Ah! I see you're not reserving yourself, Harry," Riddle said, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Harry ignored it, because just then he saw the fat snake slithering into sight again. The magic it possessed was easily recognizable for Harry. In front of him was the last Horcrux. As an animal it worked differently than an object container. He did have a vial of basilisk venom in his pocket, but there was no way to get it into that blasted snake! But then again, like the horcrux in Harry, it could just work with killing the container.

 _Blast it to pieces!_ Ginny hissed gleefully.

 _Won't work. She's a Horcrux._

"I think it is best we quit toying around. It's not nice to play with food, you know. Especially not someone else's food. _Nagini! Here comes your dinner!_ " Riddle shouted gleefully and fired a Killing Curse straight at Harry.

Harry, who saw the opportunity literally straight in front of him, performed the strongest mirror shield he could muster, and with a wave of his wand conjured a real mirror behind it, just to be sure. He'd seen it coming.

The spell hit the shield, and ricocheted off and straight at the enormous, green snake. It gave a loud hiss, and then fell lifelessly to the ground.

"No!" Riddle shreiked, barely avoiding a stunner from Harry as he looked at the snake. "You killed her!"

Harry smiled coldly. "Woops."

Riddle ran towards him, wand and hands extended and posed to attack him. Just as Harry was about to do a blasting curse, something glittering came zooming into the air and hit his right shoulder. Riddle shouted again and lunged forward, grabbing Harry by his feet.

Harry cursed inwardly when he felt a hook attach behind his navel, and was lifted off the ground, Riddle still clutching to his feet. He prepared himself for the landing and managed to tear himself out of Riddle's grip and stumble backwards when he felt himself landing hard on the ground.

He trained his wand at Riddle and glanced quickly around him. Somehow he had ended up in the middle of the maze again, in one of the narrow passages. The portkey had tumbled away and lay under one of the hedges, while Harry's boggart lay on the ground right by.

How had they returned to the middle of the maze? The original portkey surely wasn't meant to lead back here? However, Harry didn't have time to wonder about that now. Riddle was crawling around searching for his wand in the darkness, and Harry saw the opportunity to finish him. Riddle saw it too.

"You don't mean to kill me, Harry?" he asked slyly. "What do you think your dear girlfriend would say?" he glanced at the boggart.

"She'd be happy," Harry bit back, "Confringo!"

Riddle dived; the spell hit the boggart instead, blasting it ant the nearby hedges into the air.

"There!" said Riddle triumphantly and lifted his wand, quickly getting to his feet. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry flattend himself to the ground, and the curse whizzed past him overhead and hit the hedges behind him.

"Who is this girlfriend of yours? She seems distantly familiar… red hair, freckles… Wormtail talked about hiding in a wizarding family close to you, Harry. Red-heads, he said. Large family. What was their name again? Wheazie? No, Weasley, wasn't it? Lots of rowdy boys and one little girl. They're awfully poor, aren't they? Blood-traitors? Are you sure she isn't sucking up to you, Harry? After all, the Potters have a lot of money."

The ground was freezing as Harry started to lose control. Was Riddle doing it on purpose? He surely couldn't know the danger of taunting Harry until he lost control?

"But you love her, don't you?" Riddle grinned evilly as he continued to taunt Harry. Cracks of apparition was heard in the distance, although Harry couldn't bring himself to care. "She'd make a nice toy once I'm done with you."

"Don't you dare touch her, you filthy monster!" Harry shouted, a wave of magic escaping his control. Riddle was pushed backwards, and the hedges turned into solid ice blocks.

"Avada Kedavra!" Riddle couldn't have chosen a worst moment. With all of Harry's magic unleashed, the now familiar golden shield spread out. But this time strands of silver coarsed through it, changing it.

The Killing Curse hit the shield with a great force. The two different magics, one based on love, the other based on hatred, collided with a bright light and a loud bang. Harry felt his strength draining, and swayed slightly. After a moment the light that he could see through his eyelids seemed to die down. He dared open his eyes again.

The force of the collision of magic could be felt all the way to the stands with ease. Those parts nearest the maze collapsed, people screaming and hurrying away. Twigs and leaves flew in all directions, and Ginny crouched, covering her head. Beneath her the support beams to the stands were complaining loudly by the force.

Then it stilled. She looked up. The scene was completely transformed. The hedges had been blasted away, the stunted roots and scorched pieces of the trunk were the only things remaining, most of them with a small fire burning down the last remains. The ground inside the maze was blackened, fortunately ending right outside the nearest row of hedges. They could see all the way in to the centre. Bodies of dead, burnt or stunned creatures lay spread about, amidst an occasional human – Death Eaters. In the middle of the maze stood Harry.

The crowd had fallen dead silent. They were staring over the field in shock and confusion, none of them knowing how to react, until Harry collapsed on the ground. The air was filled with words and voices of worry and fear.

Ginny hurried down from the stands and sprinted across the Quidditch field towards Harry, ignoring the shouts from Hermione, Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore. When Harry collapsed on the ground, she ran even faster. She felt his exhaustion and his nearly drifting into unconsciousness.

"No, Harry! Stay with me! Stay with me, Harry! Don't leave!" she screamed, panicking. She flung herself on the ground beside him cradling him in her arms. His green eyes looked up and met hers. He smiled faintly.

"I love you," he whispered faintly.

"I love you too. This'll be perfectly alright. Just stay with me now – Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey, hurry!"

Madam Pomfrey, who had been tending to Viktor, Cedric and Fleur, now hurried towards Ginny and Harry. The judges climbed down from their seats and stared out towards Harry's still body, looking slighty uncertain of what to do.

Dumbledore lifted his robes, sort of like a lady would lift her dress to keep it from getting dirty, and leaped over the remaining flames and burnt bodies and hedges towards Harry and Ginny. The sight would have been hilarious, had it not been for the grave circumstances.

"What – what happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked breathlessly as she landed on her knees by Harry's side.

"I-I don't know – I… " Ginny trailed off. All she could think of was if she lost Harry completely. She clung to his mind, refusing to let him drift off, holding him tightly and caressing his hair.

Madam Pomfrey kept lifting his eyelids and performed a few spells on him. "It is just fatigue," she said, an elated smile on her face. She looked at Ginny, and then froze, her gaze moving to something over Ginny's shoulder.

"Is that – is that…" Riddle's body lay a few metres away, blackened, but his snake-like face and red eyes still enough to leave out any doubt.

"You-Know-Who," Ginny said faintly. She looked at Harry, feeling relieved as he finally drifted into unconsciousness. It was just fatigue. Nothing worse. Despite the awful feeling when he disappeared for her.

"Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore said, having reached their side.

Madam Pomfrey conjured a stretcher and levitated Harry back towards the audience and the first aid tent. Ginny trailed behind her, not offering Dumbledore a moment's attention. Her eyes were firmly attached to Harry's still body. Had it not been for the gentle pull that was still present, she would have been convinced that he was dead. He certainly looked like it.

As they reached the audience there were shouts and shrieks of horror from people who jumped to conclusions. Many burst into tears at once, but for Ginny, only one voice managed to penetrate the noise.

"Ginny! Is he – ?" Ron had stood, and was climbing down the stairs, but paused as Professor McGonagall held him back.

Ginny merely shook her head, and the relief that covered Ron's face was immediately picked up by McGonagall. She turned to Dumbledore, who had returned to the rest of the judges with a slower pace.

"Something unforeseen has happened," he began. "It appears to be that Lord Voldemort has returned."

"You-Know-Who? But he's dead! Harry killed him when he was a year old!" Bagman yelled.

"Temporarily, I believe. Go and have a look for yourselves. We will question Mr. and Mrs. Potter as soon as he wakes. Minerva, will you alert the aurors? There are alive Death Eaters in the maze."

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

Madam Pomfrey busied herself with preparing potions for her patients when they had all been taken back to the Hospital Wing for proper care. There were few people there at the moment; only Harry, Ginny, Fleur, Viktor and Cedric. This was simply because the doors had been locked to prevent students and Ministry people barging in to demand what had happened.

Harry's arm was bandaged, and so was Cedric's head. Fleur, who had been stunned during the maze, had inquired about the events, and so had Viktor, remembering the Imperius Curse. Madam Pomfrey hadn't known anything but she had given Ginny a demanding look.

After a couple of hours Ginny felt Harry's mind stir. She immediately crawled into the bed. "Harry? Can you hear me, sweetie?" she asked desperately, her hands caressing his hair and his face. The blackness that had been his mind started to clear, and his eyes blinked open.

"Gin," he whispered.

"Oh!" she sighed, relieved, and hugged him fiercely.

Madam Pomfrey hurried over with a glass of sparkling yellow potion. "How are you feeling, Mr Potter?" she asked as she helped him sit up slightly.

"Tired," he whispered. It was true. He felt as though he had no power left in him, and Ginny even had to help him drink the potion.

It tasted surprisingly little, but it felt fizzy inside him and did wonders for his strength. He was able to sit up properly by himself, leaning against the pillows that Ginny propped up for him. Then he took in his surroundings, and his gaze stopped at Viktor in the bed across the room.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For vot?"

"Harry, what happened in that maze? What happened after the Acromentula?" Cedric asked, "I've got a feeling that you know. Do you?"

Harry looked slightly ashamed into his covers, which were then obscured by Ginny's red hair when she moved to hug him.

"Don't be ashamed, Harry. Tell them everything. They deserve to know."

So Harry told them everything. About the bond granting him a mind-reading and magic-sensing ability, about the prophecy. How they had learned about the Horcruxes, and how he had figured out Crouch's plan. Even Madam Pomfrey listened with rapt attention as he told about how he played Crouch's game all the way to the graveyard, and gasped in horror when he told about Riddle's resurrection. To his great surprise, though, she gave him a hug when he had told them about how he had killed him – once and for all.

"So… vhy vos you sorry, Harry?" Viktor demanded.

"Because I kept this secret from you all the time, knowing everything about the Tournament, making it deliberately unfair… Because I had to stun you and end the competition early for you. I could have just taken away the Imperius Curse – "

"And risk him getting attacked by Crouch? Or worse, get to the graveyard before you? Harry, you saved his life. You've saved us all," Ginny insisted.

"I don't want to think about what had happened if I had grabbed that portkey, Harry," Cedric said. "You might have done a lot of odd things that wouldn't have made sense, but your pretty little wife is right."

There was another loud knock on the door. "Open the door! I need to speak to the Potters!" it was Snape's voice.

"Please open, Madam Pomfrey," Ginny said. "Snape has been very helpful, and I believe he's got something to show us."

Madam Pomfrey hesitated, but then she nodded and walked over to the door. After waving her wand a few times in front of it she pulled the door open.

Snape entered, dragging the still in-disguise Crouch behind him, although he was stunned. Everyone reached for their wands immediately. Snape's incredulous black eyes found Harry's.

"You told them?"

"Yes. They deserved to know after I mucked up the competition."

"Very well," Snape said sourly and dumped Crouch on the floor. "I asked Dumbledore to come. And Madam Bones. They have been going over all the Death Eaters in the maze – how the hell did they get into the maze, Potter?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure. I reckon they apparated, though. The anti-apparition wards are down."

"Are they now?"

"How come you went to the graveyard? You said you wouldn't?" Harry demanded.

"Just to be sure. If you failed, I had to become a spy again, and I couldn't risk falling out with him."

"Then you know how they got into the maze! Why did you ask?" Ginny inquired.

Snape glared at her. "I know that the Death Eaters buggered Wormtail until he told where the portkey went, but I didn't understand how they could appear in the maze. I apparated to Hogsmeade and walked, and good thing I did. Stunned Crouch in the back while he checked out his fellow Death Eaters while they were knocked out."

"What's going on outside now?" Cedric asked, his hand still clutching his wand.

"Nearly the entire Auror corps is here, indentifying the Death Eaters. Fudge is going slightly mad – not that he wasn't already, but he refuses to see reason, even when Hagrid bodily drags him over to the corpse of the Dark Lord and shows him. He claims it's a fake. Madam Bones and Scrimgeour are at least doing their jobs. They all want to talk to you, Potter. They want to know what happened," Snape said, sitting heavily on a chair.

"How is the Mark now? Isn't that proof too? Now that he's dead, I mean?" Ginny asked.

Snape pulled back his sleeve and showed then his mark. It had scarred. No longer was it vivid red, and it wasn't even black, like Wormtail's had been. It just looked like an old scar on his skin. "Yes, it should be proof enough for those who know how it works."

They were interrupted by more knocking. Madam Pomfrey had a look again, let in Dumbledore followed by Madam Bones, a broad-jawed woman with a monocle which she peered critically through. Minister Fudge was shoved inside by a lion-like Auror with multiple scars and yellowish eyes scrutinizing the room and a tall dark Auror with broad shoulders who was accompanied by the same young witch with bubblegum-pink hair that Harry recognized as Moody's trainee at Sirius' trial.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore politely. "May I present to you Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office, Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt and Auror Trainee Nymphadora Tonks. Minister Fudge you know already, of course."

"Hello," Harry said politely. His gaze lingered at Scrimgeour, who was studying the apparently stunned Moody on the floor.

"Why is Mad-Eye here? On the floor?" he demanded.

"Because it's not Mad-Eye Moody," Harry said tartly. "We are just waiting for the Polyjuice Potion to lift."

"In the meantime, Mr. Potter, perhaps you could tell us all what happened in the maze?" Dumbledore asked, conjuring himself a blue armchair which he settled in. He looked at Harry with a pleasant smile.

Harry lifted his wand and wordlessly formed a large bubble in the air, which he poured his memory into. He glared at Fudge, who turned bright red when it reached the graveyard. When everything was done, the bubble vanished with a pop, as if it had been burst with something sharp.

"He's… he's dead for real now, isn't he?" Tonks said.

"It would seem so," Dumbledore said. "Although, Mr. Potter, I am rather curious about it. How could it be when – "

"We can't tell you, sir. Not with all this audience," Harry said.

"Mr. Snape," Scrimgeour began and advanced on Snape, wand ready, "I believe you were in the graveyard."

"Leave him be," Harry snapped angrily. The windows blasted open, and Scrimgeour backed away, startled.

"He's a Death Eater, Potter!" Scrimgeour growled, "he should be in Azkaban!"

"He is a spy! He has been very helpful, and he's saved my life many times over. Severus Snape is nothing but a hero."

"A hero! Preposterous!" Fudge exclaimed, "He has the Dark Mark – "

"Mr. Potter is right, Cornelius," Dumbledore said calmly. "Severus' loyalty lies with us."

"Mr. Snape, perhaps you know what happened to Wormtail?" Madam Bones began.

"Peter Pettigrew, madam," Snape said. "As far as I'm concerned, he is either in the maze, in the graveyard of Little Hangleton, or he has escaped. If you are still hesitant about the truth of this all, then go to the graveyard. You will find the cauldron, the potion and most likely the knife still there."

"Did you know about this too, Severus?" Dumbledore asked surprised.

Snape nodded. "The Potters and their friends confided in me last year."

"Ze Polyjuice Potion eez disappearing," Fleur said, drawing everybody's attention to the man on the floor.

He was pale, with a slightly freckled complexion, and a mop of fair hair on his head.

"Severus, will you fetch us the strongest truth serum that you have?" Dumbledore requested.

Snape nodded and left, while Fudge spluttered indignantly.

"You need approval from the Ministry to use a truth serum, Dumbledore – you surely know that!"

But Dumbledore merely looked at Madam Bones, who nodded, studying Crouch through her monocle.

"I'm very interested in hearing how he can be alive. He was supposed to have died in Azkaban many years ago. Did you know, Mr. and Mrs. Potter?" she looked over to the hospital bed where Harry and Ginny sat, tightly embracing each other.

Harry nodded. "He was smuggled out by his father, and his mother took his place."

"Barty did that?" Shacklebolt spoke up for the first time. His voice was surprisingly deep and comforting.

"I suggest we listen to what Crouch jr. can tell us," Dumbledore said, "not that I doubt Mr. Potter's word."

When Snape got back with a small phial of Veritaserum, Crouch was administered three drops of the potion, and was questioned by Madam Bones, Albus, and in a small degree Harry, who just urged him on to tell a few parts when he was reluctant to do so.

"That elf!" Fudge exclaimed, "she was in on it! Where is she?" he demanded, looking at Dumbledore angrily.

"Don't throw all your anger on her!" Ginny said shrilly, "she only did what she was asked, like any other house-elf would do! Are you going to condemn them for their nature? They're not like humans, Fudge; they don't see right from wrong the way we do."

"Who do you think you are, Miss Know-It-All?"

"I don't think that just because some of us are blind, large-headed idiots, it doesn't give them the right to blame innocent people – or house-elves!" Ginny said indignantly.

"Ginny, you can't call the Minister an idiot," Harry reprimanded her gently.

"Well, you seemed too busy to do so, and I thought that someone should!" she said matter-of-factly.

Madam Bones couldn't hold back a snort of amusement, whereas Tonks laughed heartily. Dumbledore merely smiled, whereas Fudge was brilliantly red.

"You little – "

"Although, I'm sure Madam Bones would be delighted to hear about or discussion the summer two years ago; I'm sure you remember, Minister?" Harry said.

"You wouldn't dare!" Fudge said horrified.

"Wouldn't I?"

The previously red parts of Fudge's face turned white in a surprisingly short amount of time. Ginny snickered, earning a death glare from Fudge, who then turned and strode out of the room, fuming.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Madam Bones asked and looked at Harry and Ginny with interest.

"Blackmail, Madam," Ginny said. "Harry had to resort to blackmailing Fudge to get a trial for Sirius two years ago."

"What sort of blackmail?" Madam Bones asked, frowning so her monocle dug into her brow.

"Well, it doesn't matter now, does it?" Ginny looked challengingly at Harry. "We _do_ need a more competent Minister."

"Yeah, alright," Harry said. "He's performed an unforgivable, madam. He is, unfortunately, easy to bribe, and he tried to cover his tracks by ensuring a smooth transaction, so he Imperiused the middle man."

Madam Bones nodded slowly. "That is the deal about the muggle protection act with Lucius Malfoy, am I right?"

Harry nodded. "How did you know?"

"I've had a nagging suspicion for a while. Fudge seemed relatively calm about your father-in-law's draft, and then suddenly he was against it for all costs," Madam Bones said. "Thank you for your tip, Mr. Potter. And sincerely thank you from the whole nation for preventing another war. I will personally see to that you are handsomely rewarded for your struggles, which I have no doubt that it was."

She then turned and nodded to Dumbledore before she left, Scrimgeour hot on her tail.

"Now," Madam Pomfrey's sharp voice had them all turn towards her. "Mr. Potter has had a very stressful night, and he needs some rest. I'm afraid that you will have to leave. All of you." She put a stern glare into the headmaster, who sighed, stood and vanished his chair.

"Thank you for your story, Mr. Potter. And thank you for everything you have done for us." He gave Harry a faint smile and walked out, whistling a soft tune.

"I hear you've been getting quite close to my cousin, Harry," Tonks said with a mischievous smile.

"Your cousin?" Harry asked, confused.

"You know; black hair, handsome, unrightfully imprisoned in – "

" _You're_ Sirius' cousin? _You're_ a Black?" Harry asked incredulously. He couldn't imagine anyone looking less like a Black.

"My mother is. Ask Sirius; I'm his favourite cousin," she said smugly.

"Just because all the other ones are Death Eaters," Shacklebolt said.

"D'you know where I can find him?" Tonks asked as she was pushed towards the door by Madam Pomfrey, who looked less than happy.

"Try number ninety-four Diagon Alley," Harry called before the door slammed shut.

"Sleep, Mr. Potter. And you others as well," Madam Pomfrey ordered.

And it is true what they say; you don't disobey the the matron's orders.


	36. Draco's Change of Heart

Harry woke to silence the next morning. That was, except for birds singing and the breeze in the trees outside the open window. As it was, he felt very comfortable where he was. Ginny was in her usual spot, her head tucked under his chin and legs intertwined with his. He marvelled at the soft feel of her skin under his hand, which had slipped up underneath her pyjama top during the night.

He opened his eyes at last and looked around. It took him a few moments to remember why he was in the Hospital Wing. Then he sighed with a mixture of happiness and relief. It was all over now. He could turn his focus away from what he'd had to do to what he wanted to do. He didn't have to worry about Voldemort ruining even more of his life, or anyone else's. And right now he wanted nothing more than to just stay here and cuddle with Ginny.

Gentle rustling of fabric was heard from one of the nearby beds. Harry lifted his head slightly, fumbling with his glasses for a moment and spotted Fleur in the bed next to his. She was awake, smiling at him.

"Good morning, 'Arry."

"Morning," he said and pressed a gentle kiss to Ginny's head, who moaned and stretched slightly, rubbing her nose against his throat before she sighed contentedly.

"Well, we are going to 'ave to start packing soon. We will be going 'ome in a few days, non?" Fleur said.

"You are?" Harry glanced at her. "Well, safe return home, I suppose."

"I am 'oping to get a job 'ere, to eemprove my Eenglish," she said, "Per'aps you know..?"

"Oh! What d'you have in mind?"

"I 'ave been theenking Gringotts," she said.

"I don't know a lot, but Ginny's brother Bill works as a curse-breaker for Gringotts. He was here yesterday; tall bloke with dragon-hide boots and fang earring?"

"Yes, I remember," she smiled secretively, and her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"I'm not sure if he's here still, but if he isn't, I could mention it to him?"

"Zat would be vairy kind, zank you!" she beamed at him.

A thud and a painful moan had her turn around, and Harry to push himself up to see what was going on. Apparently, Cedric had rolled too near the edge in his sleep and landed on the floor.

"Ouch!" he declared and crawled back into bed, his cheeks red.

"Small bed?" Harry teased.

"Yeah," Cedric said, "seems to have shrunk during the night."

"Harry?" Ginny's voice sounded muffled against his chest.

"Yes?"

"Don't move." She pulled him back down, and he had to struggle not to laugh.

"Anyvon want to come flying?" Viktor asked. He was already sitting in his bed, searching his bedside for clothes. "Haff anyvon checked the clock?"

"I'd like to go flying, yes, but I doubt Madam Pomfrey would let us go just yet," Harry said.

"I don't think I should attempt that. My head is still hurting from that blasted spider, and with that Cruciatus Curse – weren't you hit by that too, Harry?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah," Harry said dismissively.

"That was awful! I've never imagined that anything could be that painful! I mean, I completely understand how one could be torturet to insanity with it, much less making it an unforgivable," Cedric sad as he leaned over his nightstand to reach the glass of water placed there.

"I don't know… I mean, the curse of our bond is ten times worse," Harry muttered.

Cedric's grip slipped, and he fell on the floor for a second time that morning. " _Ten_ times? I mean, really? That's not possible! How could you live, much less swim and fetch Ginny during the second task?"

"I had to," Harry said simply.

Fortunately, the conversation was interrupted when Madam Pomfrey entered from her room. "Are you awake already?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes. Vhere are my clothes? I vont to go flying. Harry and I need practice," Viktor declared loudly.

"Flying before breakfast, Mr. Krum? I'm sure that not even your coach would approve of that," Madam Pomfrey said and moved over to Harry. She grabbed his arm and removed the bandages from it.

Viktor flushed. "Vell, he is not here," he said firmly. "Vhere are my clothes?"

"No-one has been here with your clothes, Mr. Krum. I suggest you wait patiently; I'm sure someone will come by with some clothes for you soon. In the meantime you are going to eat breakfast. The house-elves should be here shortly." She inspected Harry's wound a little, and gently dabbed some potion on it before she moved to Cedric and removed his bandages as well.

It was half an hour later, after breakfast, that the doors to the Hospital Wing burst open, and Hermione, Ron, Neville and Fred and George burst through. They were each carrying a set of clothes; Fred dropped his in Fleur's bed.

"One of the Beauxbatons girls were asked by your headmistress to fetch it when we said we were going to see you – I say, why don't they come themselves and hand them to you?"

"Zey don't like me, mostly. Zey are jealous of my beauty!" she said, but smiled a little to Fred and thanked him.

"Karkaroff's run away, though," George said. He handed Viktor his clothes, and he shimmied out of his night clothes without the care that a lot of others were watching(he hadn't cared while swimming in just his swimming trunks in the lake in January either, though).

"I vood not be surprised," he said, "he is a coward, I am thinking."

"He tattled on his fellow Death Eaters to escape Azkaban himself," Harry explained and accepted the clean robes from Ron. "So naturally, he knew they wouldn't be particularly welcoming. He knew, like all the other Death Eaters, that Riddle was returning." He pulled his nightshirt and pants off, and slipped on his Hogwarts robes. "Ginny, are you getting dressed?"

"In the middle of a group with boys? Even though three of them are my brothers? Not a chance!"

She grabbed the clothes that Hermione had layed out for her and hurried off to the bathroom.

"What's going on outside the Hospital Wing?" Cedric asked accepting the clothes that Neville got him.

"The Aurors are still here," Hermione said, "Bill and Mrs. Weasley too – Mr. Weasley had to go to work."

Fleur perked up at the mention of Bill. Harry beamed at her.

"We'll introduce you."

"The press is here too," Neville said, giving Harry a warning look.

"With Skeeter?" Harry asked and groaned when Neville nodded.

"Vot do you say, Harry? Should ve go flying? Escape the hounds?"

"Very tempting, Viktor," Harry said as Ginny returned. "Madam Pomfrey, can we leave now?"

Madam Pomfrey turned and looked at them before she sighed. "Oh, very well! I don't want to see you in here for the rest of the term, Potter," she said firmly. "Enough is enough."

"Totally agree," Harry said and burst out through the door, Viktor hot on his heels. "Think they've fixed the Quidditch pitch yet?"

"I doubt it," Viktor said, casually answering in Bulgarian.

"Still, they probably won't mind that we use it," Harry said and ran up to the Gryffindor Common Roon, straight through it and up to the dorms.

"Harry!" Seamus shouted when he got down, "is it true that You-Know-Who returned, and that you killed him?"

Harry paused. He noticed that absolutely everyone in the room were watching him. "Do you take me for a liar, Finnigan?" he raised a brow at his old room mate.

"Of course not! Only wanted to know if it was true, mate!"

"In that case you're our hero!" Angelina commented.

Beside her Alicia Spinnet shuddered. "Just imagine if You-Know-Who was alive right now! We'd be at war right now!"

"No, don't worry, Alicia. He's as dead as you can get," Harry said dryly.

"But he returned, didn't he?" Parvati Patil asked.

"Umm, yeah… Look, why don't you ask... err… someone else. I'm busy."

"Are you going out flying, Harry?" Angelina asked interestedly.

"Yes, umm… with Viktor – see you!" he said and ran off through the portrait hole.

Viktor was already in the air when Harry reached the half-burnt Quidditch pitch. He caught a glimpse of Bagman, who was approaching the school from Hogsmeade in his bright yellow robes along with none other than Percy, but ignored them both for now. He wanted to fly off some steam. Viktor released the snitch, and they began their chase. This time their dives were even harder, with all the burnt pieces of the hedges poking up from the ground here and there.

Rather than the usual exercises in addition, they kept to flying this time, revelling in the passion that they both shared. Ginny soon appeared along with Bill, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and the twins, drawn to the pitch to see Harry fly. To their great surprise, Fleur and Cedric joined a little while later, having seen Viktor and Harry in the sky all the way from the castle.

"Oh, I just remembered!" Ginny said and turned to Bill. "Bill, this is Fleur Delacour; she's the Beauxbatons champion. She told Harry she's interested in a job at Gringotts, and he thought that maybe you could help?"

"Yeah. I can see if I can put in a good word for you, but I don't think it should be much of a problem. They need people, and I doubt they'd say no to a TriWizard champion," Bill said.

"Are you working at ze bank too?" she asked curiously.

Ginny noticed her distinct desire to keep on Bill's attention, so she turned away to talk to Cedric, who was admiring Harry flying.

"I work for Gringotts, yes, but as a curse-breaker in Egypt," Bill said.

"Ooh!" she exclaimed. "'Ow eez zat? Eez eet 'ard work?"

Deciding not to eavesdrop, Ginny moved slightly further away, down the bench, but not near enough to interfere with Ron and Hermione, who were kissing enthusiastically.

"So where is Neville?" Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny, her eyes following Harry as he circled the pitch high up in the air.

"He's with Hannah Abbott. They've really bonded over their interest for Herbology," Ginny explained. And then: "Percy is here."

"What – oh!" Mrs. Weasley leaped up at the sight of Percy climbing up the stands with Bagman, who nearly stumbled as he was too busy watching Harry and Viktor flying. "Percy! Where were you last night?"

"Last night? I wasn't here, of course, but I heard what had happened. Fudge's been going on and on about it. He doesn't want to think it true that You-Know-Who returned, but Madam Bones made him see reason. They've questioned the surviving Death Eaters, and everyone say the same thing. They kept Crouch jr. in for a long time, of course, and I think Mr. Crouch is going to have some trouble soon as well," Percy explained.

"What about the press?" Ginny asked, "what has the _Prophet_ written?"

"The truth. So far at least. Merlin, didn't you read it, Ginny? It was all over the front page this morning that You-Know-Who returned, and that Harry killed him less than an hour after. They've included statements from the questioning of the Death Eaters, and the proof that they could find in that graveyard when they went to have a look. There is no doubt. Also, I think that Harry should write a letter to Madam Bones and tell the whole truth. About his ability to see magic and read minds, and how you picked up on Crouch's plan."

"Why? Why should he tell anyone about it?" Ginny challenged, crossing her arms annoyedly.

"Because she's a trustworthy woman. She'll understand. And I think it's best if she knows the truth," Percy said. "With the soulbond out, what is the big deal?"

"If it became general knowledge that Harry is a mind-reader, people will get afraid of him, and his magic-sensing skills will put away any credibility to him being a good Seeker and anything else like that."

Percy sighed resignedly. "Well, don't bother, then."

"Harry!" Bagman called. He was still standing and watching Harry and Viktor's flying skills, but he was waving at Harry with a large bag of gold in his hand.

Harry soared down towards them and hovered in front of Bagman, eyeing the bag of money critically.

"This is for you. It's well earned, believe me. Fudge was supposed to give it to you last night, but he got angry, and then he was pulled in for questioning, so I'm the one given the honours. Congratulations with the victory." Bagman beamed and shoved the bag of galleons into his hands before he left with a springy gait.

 _What families do ∙ What families do ∙ What families do_

The next days passed so fast Harry thought they seemed to blur together. On the morning the train was set to leave for London, Harry and Ginny saw Hagrid and Madame Maxime helping each other to back the Abraxans into their harness when they got out of the castle, dragging their trunks behind them. Neville had already left ahead with Hannah, and Hermione was waiting for Ron, who had been late packing, as usual. Fred and George were, against the usual, on time, and accompanied Harry and Ginny outside.

"You know, Harry, about Bagman – he's more than what he appears to be. There's nothing bubbly and happy with betting away all his money," Fred said.

"Yeah. Remember after the World Cup, how he tried to trick us with leprechaun gold?" George went on.

"Yes, what about it?" Harry asked.

"Well, we weren't the only ones he tricked. Heaps of people gambled their money with him, and all they got back was leprechaun gold. Turns out he's been borrowing gold from the goblins to gamble, and now he can't repay it," George said. "Lee's dad got into trouble with him too. Didn't get his money back."

"But you got real money," Ginny insisted, "Harry caught him at it!"

"Yeah, lucky for us. Not that it's enough to start a great shop yet, but we're definitely working on it!" Fred beamed.

"Hang on," Harry said. He paused and opened his trunk.

"Oh no, Harry!" Ginny moaned, "if you do that, I'm going to force them to keep their inventions strictly inside their room, or hell will be free forever!"

"You do that, then!" Harry said as he dug through his trunk. He was in much too good a mood to let this go. "There you go," he said to the twins and dumped the bag of gold in George's hands.

"What?" he asked, stunned.

"Take it. I don't want it. Do something useful with it."

"Like opening that store you always wanted – just promise me not to do so before you graduate, or mum will kill both Harry and me," Ginny said firmly.

"I thought you disapproved, Ginny?" Fred asked while George tried to give the bag back to Harry.

"No, I don't. I think it's a brilliant idea. I just don't want to find your jokes strewn around Potter Palace. Let's make a deal, alright? You get the money, and keep everything but your room clean from the joke products, alright?"

"Yeah! Deal!" Fred grinned.

"I don't know… we shouldn't really take this.. it's one thousand galleons – "

"You take it and shut up. I don't want to see it," Harry said and strode off towards the carriages that had appeared. And he froze.

"I would say that they're pretty, but they really aren't," he mused.

"What are you talking about?" Fred asked, confused as he tried to see what Harry was looking at.

"Thestrals. I've known they were there all the time, but this is the first time I really see them. Do you see them, Gin?" Harry looked at her.

She nodded.

"But you didn't see anyone die," George pointed out.

"I saw Riddle die through Harry. Our bond is enough," she said and climbed into one of the carriages.

Harry and Ginny decided to find a compartment of their own and leave Neville alone with Hannah. If he wanted to join them later, he could of course. They settled in a compartment near the front for some peace and quiet.

Their snogging session was interrupted by Malfoy when he opened the door.

Harry glared at him with annoyance. "What the hell do you want, Malfoy? Come to plea for forgiveness now that your dear daddy's been ousted as a Death Eater?"

"No, I was just going to say that… you're not going to believe me, but I told him he shouldn't go when he said the Dark Lord would rise again and called. I told him he'd have chosen the losing side, and it's not worth it, even if… if…" He trailed off and looked oddly uncomfortable and unsure. It was an attitude not commonly seen on a Malfoy, and it took some time to get used to. "Granger helped you out, didn't she? With the tasks?"

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" Ginny demanded, her fingers toying with her wand.

"N-Nothing! I just wanted to say that… I don't think that mu – muggle-borns are unworthy of magic. That's what father and his friends think, but… I'm not my father – I don't want to be my father. Look, muggle-borns are great. Really. And… and Lupin was the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we had." Malfoy's gaze was firmly locked to the floor. His wand was not even out, so he had made himself vulnerable to an attack.

"What made you change so dramatically?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "And why should we believe you?"

"Sophia Kitt, is it? The Ravenclaw?" Ginny smiled at him. Not a mean smile, but for once a gentle smile aimed at Malfoy, whose pale cheeks turned bright red.

"How did you know?"

"'I saw you with her a couple of days before the third task. The library is a great place for a secret snog, isn't it?" she teased. "Not to mention, Sophia and I work together in Transfiguration.

"Well, she's brilliant," he said defensively.

"She must be if she can turn a Malfoy," Harry said. He was slightly surprised to find that Malfoy had fallen for a muggle-born Ravenclaw, but then remembered his own situation with Ginny. "Love can, and will change a lot about a person. Take if from someone who knows personally." He gave a faint smile at Ginny.

"But why are you telling us all this, Malfoy?" Ginny inquired. "Is there anything you want from us?"

"No, I… I just thought I'd say it."

"Perhaps you should apologize to Hermione for calling her a mudblood too," Harry suggested.

Malfoy nodded. "Oh, and about that new law for werewolves – I know that you two had something to do with it. Sophia thinks it's a great law, and as a matter of fact, so do I."

"You do?" Harry asked, mildly surprised, "so you aren't bothered by the fact that Remus Lupin is opening an inn which place humans and non-humans on equal level?"

"Good for them, I say," Malfoy said. He then threw them a couple of short glances before he left.

The train began to move shortly after, but Ron and Hermione still hadn't appeared. Harry and Ginny guessed they wanted some time together before their families barged on en-masse. Neville wasn't seen, either, but Luna Lovegood stepped by for a conversation, which as usual slightly confusing, but nevertheless nice.

Harry sighed happily as he looked at Ginny. She glanced at him and smiled one of her brilliant smiles, one of those that had Harry's heart flutter madly.

"The future looks bright now, doesn't it?"

Harry couldn't help but agree.


End file.
